High school track athletes learn from the best at Wahluke clinic

Aspiring track and field athletes from around the state got a first hand look at what it takes to be among the best in the world at the Olympic Records Camp Track and Field Clinic Saturday at Wahluke High School.

Conducting the all-day event were High Jump Gold Medalist and inventor of the Fosbury Flop Dick Fosbury; World Record Holder and Silver Medalist sprinter Willie Banks; World Record Holder and two-time Silver Medalist in the Long Jump, Mike Powell, and 400 Meter Hurdles Gold Medalist Andre Lamar Phillips.

“The clinic was an incredible success and a lot of fun. Willie Banks and his Olympic Records Camp had us running, jumping, throwing, and even dancing through out the day,” said Wahluke Track and Field coach Joel Dugan. “There was three separate sessions of individual instruction on all track and field events, along with Olympic story sessions, team building games and most importantly lots of talks and advice about being a student athlete and not the other way around.”

One of the main speakers to address the athletes in the afternoon session was Dick Fosbury who is considered one of the most influential and inspirational athletes in the history of track and field for revolutionizing the high jump event.

“Basketball was my favorite sport in high school. I made the team, but didn’t play much,” Fosbury told the athletes. “During the spring of my sophomore year I tried out for the track team. I competed in the high jump event. Back then we were using the scissor kick method.”

Fosbury said he cleared 5’4”, but never made 5’6’’ which was the typical qualifying height for a track meet.

“I was probably the worst high jumper in the conference, maybe even the entire state of Oregon so my coach didn’t pay much attention to me – kind of let me do my own thing,” he said. “The scissor kick was so limited in what you could do so I started experimenting and slowly began turning my back to the bar. Initially I was having trouble lifting my hips up so I had to move my shoulders back so my butt wouldn’t hit the bar. I eventually cleared 5’10’’ but never made it to State. In my junior year I cleared 6’3”. I finished second at State my senior year with a jump of 6’5 1/2.”

After graduating from Medford High in 1965, Fosbury enrolled at the Oregon State University to study engineering. His track coach at OSU was intent on him using the straddle method, but he continued to perfect his own style. His sophomore year he set a school record clearing 6’10” in the first meet of the season, and finished among the Top 50 high jumpers in the nation. But that was just the beginning of his claim to fame.

“In 1968 I won the Pac-8 Conference Title, the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships and went on to qualify for the Olympics in Mexico City,” Fosbury said. “I ended up clearing 7’ 4 ¼” to set a National Record and win the Gold Medal. From then on every kid wanted to do the Flop.”

Fosbury resides in Ketchum, Idaho. He is the co-owner of Galena Engineering Inc. and continues to be involved in athletics traveling annually around the country helping conduct clinics for inspiring track and field athletes. He also serves on the executive board of the World Olympians Association.

Schools attending the Olympic Records Camp Track and Field Clinic included College Place, Davenport, Eastmont, Easton, Goldendale, Mead, Moses Lake, Mount Vernon Christian, O’Dea, Okanogan, Sunnyside and host Wahluke.

“I want to make this a yearly event, but am going to be choosing a different date perhaps not back to back with the WindBreaker Invitational (which took place Friday) to attract more athletes and school,” Dugan said. “It was an amazing experience and all of the coaches especially myself learned not just technique, but ways to better our athletes on and off the field. All the clinicians want to come back next year and I hope they can all make it. Financially, none of this would have been possible without the generosity of our 32 sponsors and generous contributions from the Wahluke School District Administration and Wahluke Junior High.”