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Entering the season, everyone knew Tim White could jump.
He was the defending Foothill League champion in both the high jump and long jump, and he refused to release his grip on both events this spring.
What people didn’t know is that White was quietly adding the triple jump to his expertise, a third dimension to his point-gorging arsenal.
With his considerable help, the Hart boys clinched a share of their first league title since 2008. That makes White the 2012 All-Santa Clarita Valley Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
That, and a whole lot more.
White’s presence meant a guaranteed 10-15 points for the Hart boys, and the team’s co-title meant a lot to him. But his season really took off when he could focus on one meet a week during the postseason.
The Hart senior qualified for the CIF-Southern Section Division III finals in all three jumps, choosing to focus on the triple and high jump at the meet. The results spoke for themselves.
His winning height of 6 feet, 7 inches in the high jump represents the best overall mark in the league this season. His winning distance of 48 feet, 5 1/4 inches in the triple jump represented the best overall mark in league history.
Two weeks later, that record would again be broken. One day later, White was hit with personal tragedy.
When covering standout athletes such as White, it’s easy at times to forget that they’re just teenagers, as susceptible to emotion and influence as the rest of us. White lost his 22-year-old brother, Elwood, on May 20 due to a police shooting in Oceanside.
That White continued to excel in the jumps amid considerable adversity is a testament to his strength and maturity. It served as a reminder that he’s something more than an athlete, a three-dimensional character in a remarkable story he’s continuing to write.
The next chapter came at the Masters Meet, when White qualified for state in the triple jump. With that as his sole focus, he unleashed his abilities at Buchanan High School in Clovis.
His marks were all elite, but his signature jump came on his second attempt of the state finals. White burned down the runway with his speed. His steps were precise and powerful. His final jump combined length and height to achieve the nation’s leading mark in the event.
At 51-5, White had a great shot at becoming Hart’s first individual state champion since Fred DeBernardi won the shot put in 1967. One round later, Claremont’s Klyvens Delaunay ripped the title from White with a jump of 51-7.
You wouldn’t have known it from talking to White afterward. He remained upbeat, which by now shouldn’t come as a surprise.
By all accounts, White has only begun to tap his potential. Who knows what surprises are in store next.
White's Season
- Foothill League champion in long, high and triple jumps
- Set Foothill record in triple jump at 48-5 1/4
- CIF-SS Division III triple and high jump champ
- State runner-up in triple jump
Jun. 23, 2012 01:55a.m. EDT
2012 All-SCV Boys Track and Field: Hart's Tim White, The third dimension
Joseph Gulino
The Signal
Entering the season, everyone knew Tim White could jump.
He was the defending Foothill League champion in both the high jump and long jump, and he refused to release his grip on both events this spring.
What people didn’t know is that White was quietly adding the triple jump to his expertise, a third dimension to his point-gorging arsenal.
With his considerable help, the Hart boys clinched a share of their first league title since 2008. That makes White the 2012 All-Santa Clarita Valley Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.
That, and a whole lot more.
White’s presence meant a guaranteed 10-15 points for the Hart boys, and the team’s co-title meant a lot to him. But his season really took off when he could focus on one meet a week during the postseason.
The Hart senior qualified for the CIF-Southern Section Division III finals in all three jumps, choosing to focus on the triple and high jump at the meet. The results spoke for themselves.
His winning height of 6 feet, 7 inches in the high jump represents the best overall mark in the league this season. His winning distance of 48 feet, 5 1/4 inches in the triple jump represented the best overall mark in league history.
Two weeks later, that record would again be broken. One day later, White was hit with personal tragedy.
When covering standout athletes such as White, it’s easy at times to forget that they’re just teenagers, as susceptible to emotion and influence as the rest of us. White lost his 22-year-old brother, Elwood, on May 20 due to a police shooting in Oceanside.
That White continued to excel in the jumps amid considerable adversity is a testament to his strength and maturity. It served as a reminder that he’s something more than an athlete, a three-dimensional character in a remarkable story he’s continuing to write.
The next chapter came at the Masters Meet, when White qualified for state in the triple jump. With that as his sole focus, he unleashed his abilities at Buchanan High School in Clovis.
His marks were all elite, but his signature jump came on his second attempt of the state finals. White burned down the runway with his speed. His steps were precise and powerful. His final jump combined length and height to achieve the nation’s leading mark in the event.
At 51-5, White had a great shot at becoming Hart’s first individual state champion since Fred DeBernardi won the shot put in 1967. One round later, Claremont’s Klyvens Delaunay ripped the title from White with a jump of 51-7.
You wouldn’t have known it from talking to White afterward. He remained upbeat, which by now shouldn’t come as a surprise.
By all accounts, White has only begun to tap his potential. Who knows what surprises are in store next.
White's Season
- Foothill League champion in long, high and triple jumps
- Set Foothill record in triple jump at 48-5 1/4
- CIF-SS Division III triple and high jump champ
- State runner-up in triple jump
Copyright 2011 MorrisMultimedia . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed
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