Junior Alex Dillon is ranked ninth state-wide for boys high school high jump and first in the Central Coast section after achieving a new personal record of 6 feet 7 inches at the prestigious Arcadia Invitational on April 6, according to the Athletic Net website. He also placed fourth in men’s high jump at the invitational, according to the Arcadia Invitational website.
Going into the invitational, the goal was simply to gain exposure to a higher level of competition, with no expectations of placing, Dillon said. At the start of the season, his “realistic goal” was a jump height of 6 feet 5 inches, and his “unrealistic” goal was 6 feet 7 inches, he added.
“I’d never even tried 6-7 before that (the Arcadia Invitational), so it was a little odd, but I think it also gave me a little boost of confidence knowing that, going forward, those higher heights aren’t impossible to get,” Dillon said.
The Arcadia Invitational hosts the best athletes on the West Coast, if not the entire nation, assistant track coach Austin Nguyen said. The invitational is a large Nike-sponsored event that attracts many college scouts, he added.
“The biggest thing this season for sure is, first of all, getting an opportunity to go to Arcadia,” Austin Nguyen said. “We were just happy to be there, but he ended up placing fourth in high jump as well, so a really, really, really big accomplishment there.”
Going into his final jump, Dillon was calm because he had already secured a spot in the top six, he said. In general, he deals with pressure before a jump by having a “clear and positive mind,” he said.
“Sometimes, I’ll try to just clear my head from all that (pressure) and just try to think about it in a positive way, (and) just be like, ‘You don’t have to be stressed about it. It’s just you and the bar,’” Dillon said. “It’s not like basketball where you’re going to be going against a bunch of people that are better than you; you’re competing with yourself.”
Dillon missed prom and traveled to Los Angeles to attend the meet, he said.
“You especially don’t want to do bad if you’re all the way up here and missing something, so I think that was a good instance of being able to not feel as nervous and just (being) able to do my thing,” Dillon said.
Dillon has been on the MHS track and field team since his freshman year, and also used to play on the basketball team, he said. He originally competed in the high jump, triple jump, and long jump, but ultimately decided to focus on high jump, he added.
“I always really liked jumping mainly, like dunking a basketball,” Dillon said. “My first time jumping my freshman year, I could kind of tell that that (high jump) was the event that I wanted to do.”
Dillon’s go-to technique for the high jump is the Fosbury flop, which consists of “going right over (the bar) like a fish,” he said. During school practices, he mostly focuses on developing technique for his run-up; he also takes weekly private lessons, he added.
“Alex is a very quick learner,” Austin Nguyen said. “When you explain something, it takes only a couple of reps before he starts figuring it out.”
Austin Nguyen has coached Dillon on the MHS team since Dillon’s sophomore year, Austin Nguyen said. Dillon is a good communicator and a coachable athlete, he added.
“One of the first things I told him when I met him last year is that, if he hits 7 feet, that’s an automatic scholarship,” Austin Nguyen said. “I’m exaggerating a little bit, but he really took that to heart and decided to really focus in on getting better at high jump, and I really love that about him.”
As a teammate, Dillon is a light-hearted person who jokes around a lot, Austin Nguyen said. As for future goals, Austin Nguyen hopes that Dillon will continue developing his leadership skills on the team, and believes that Dillon may be able to break the school’s high jump record next year, he added.
“I think the ultimate goal is to hopefully beat the school record, (which) is 6-11. I think, if I were to work hard enough in the off-season, that would be doable,” Dillon said. “Beyond that, (my goal is) going to college for track.”
Dillon is also grateful to friends Sukhman Kang and Alfredo Lugo for their support during the track season, he said.
“They’re not part of (the) track (team) but they’re always like, ‘What did you jump? What did you do?’” Dillon said.
Senior Alex Nguyen, who is Dillon’s friend and a fellow high jumper on the MHS team, views Dillon’s successes as “unreal,” he said.
“It’s almost taken for granted because you see around California, his PR (personal record) and accomplishments (are) very rare,” Alex Nguyen said.
High jump is one of the most difficult sports, Alex Nguyen added.
“With high jump, I feel like there’s a threshold, a plateau you hit depending on how good you are,” Alex Nguyen said. “If you’re not constantly working and practicing to get better, it’s very unlikely that you’ll compete and get far in it.”
Dillon’s strength in particular is his persistence in trying to improve and his drive to get recruited to a college for high jump, Alex Nguyen said.
“He’s always been hard working; he’s been always pushing himself to get better,” Alex Nguyen said. “This might sound crazy, but he’s (a) generational talent because he’s breaking a lot of records. This has never been seen before, especially (in) a junior.”