ELI HYLEN, St. Francis, sophomore, track and field
Hylen holds the program record for the high jump, breaking the previous mark that stood since 1983.
Q: What height did you initially clear to break your school record in the high jump?
A: That was 6-5¼. It was funny because it was our first meet this season, and I don't know what I was expecting. I cleared 6-4 and my coach said, 'Let's go for it.' So we moved the bar up 1¼ inch just to get the record.
Q: That was April 6 and then one month later you went 6-6 to break your own record. Is that your current best?
A: Yes, I cleared 6-6 a couple times this season, in a couple different meets.
Q: Did you move the bar up to like, 6-6¼ or something to get your record up higher?
A: Nope. I went up to 6-8 and just missed it.
Q: Do you know anything about Robert Zimbeck, the previous record holder?
A: There's a coach at St. Francis named Terry Nutter who actually coached him. I was curious so I asked and he said that [Zimbeck's] first year out for track was senior year and he got the record. That's very impressive.
Q: Breaking his record as a sophomore is pretty impressive, too.
A: Thank you. Last year I think physically I was probably closer than I thought but my mind is what held me back. Now before some of our meets I meditate and work on positive self-talk. You want to set the bar high, pun intended.