Sarasota High's Torres repeats as state high jump champ

Sarasota High senior Jaasiel Torres spent much of the afternoon May 5 in a horizontal position.

Not on the couch watching TV, or napping, but soaring through the air.

Torres repeated as the Class 4A boys high jump champion at the Florida High School Athletic Association track and field championships at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. He more or less competed against himself, all other athletes having been eliminated by the unforgiving bar. Torres eventually cleared 2.14 meters, or 7.03 feet, falling just short of the 4A state record of 7.15 feet. He set a personal record in the process, having never previously cleared seven feet.

“I just came in and gave it all I got,” Torres said. “I’m thankful I could win it.

In terms of conditions, this year's title defense was much easier than last year's win, when he and his fellow jumpers dealt with rain, wind and cold temperatures. It also was, selfishly, more agreeable for reporters trying to capture Torres’ leaps. Watching Torres shoot off the mat and clap-scream in euphoria after setting his personal record was one of my favorite moments of 2018.

Torres said there was some pressure to repeat as champion from his coaching staff, who always are looking to push him to his limits, but he didn't put any on himself. Torres would have had a good time even if he didn't win, he said, though he's happy he did.

"You have to enjoy what you do," Torres said with a smile. "If you don't love what you do, then you're not going to give it all you've got. It was a little rough last year. The weather was nice this year, which helped a lot. There was a nice breeze going though, it felt really good.

"This means a lot, being a two-time champion. I finally broke seven (feet). That's a goal I have been pushing for. It felt good to do it, especially at the state meet like this."

When Torres won last season, I wrote that he looked like a spider in the air, but I don’t think that’s the best descriptor anymore. At least at these championships, Torres look more like a buzzsaw, cutting over the bar with the precision of a spy sliding under a laser beam.

Torres is fond of the University of North Florida's Hodges Stadium, and that's a good thing. He'll be competing for the Ospreys next season. If this was the last time I’ll see him jump (and it seems likely that it is) before then, what a way to end things. It’s hard to convey what watching someone jump more than a foot over your head feels like, but it’s exhilarating, and a testament to the things nature has blessed human beings with the gifts to achieve.

Whatever things stand in Torres’ way at the next level, I’m confident he’ll find a way over them.