He soared and soared and soared. And when he came down, it’s almost as if he never did because all Adam Aguirre found was history.
Aguirre, who specializes in high jump among other events, broke the high jump record set back in 1979 by former track and field athlete Dean Sears.
The new mark is seven feet, while the old one was six feet and eleven inches.
The record came as a non-surprise to Aguirre, as his intents before the beginning of the season were to notch seven feet, with no intention of breaking a record.
“It’s good to know that your name’s going to be there,” he said. “The record has been there for almost 30 years now, so it’s a good feeling.”
With three-plus decades of time in between the two records, Christopher Richardson, the track and field director, said that such longevity with these statistics is a testament to the quality of athletes that have come and gone throughout the years.
“The Cerritos College school records are pretty outstanding compared to other programs in the state … So, to break a school record at Cerritos College really says something about the ability level of an individual.”
Aguirre was a dual-sport athlete, with him being a part of both the track and field and football teams, yet he elected to stick with one sport, a sport that he loves.
“My heart wasn’t in it. I’ve always known that track was a big passion of mine. I love doing track. So I just went with my gut feeling and followed my passion for track and it’s turning out alright, so far.”
And “alright” it is going for Aguirre, to say the least, as he continues to perform at a high level, according to Richardson. He, at least in a “short-term sense,” thinks Aguirre made the right decision staying with track and field.
“This shows that his committment to track is kind of exuberated by his performance. Overall, he’s a consistent performer. He’s always doing well and is always going to compete at the highest level.”
Aguirre strives to maintain and exceed his performances. Just this past summer he noted his strength gains due to his increased training load, all with the aforementioned intention of not only reaching seven feet, but also impressing collegiate recruiters.
Currently in his last season, Aguirre has schools knocking on his door, yet the one place in his sights is Ole Miss, The University of Mississippi.
Where ever he goes, Destiny Mack-Talalemotu, shot-putter for women’s track and field, knows he’ll continue the push.
“He’s a real fun person to hang out with,” she said. “And when he works, he works hard. So he deserves everything that comes to him.”
Aguirre will indeed push, he will indeed soar once again, as he has that same urge, that same intent that made him reach his seven-foot high goal.
And there’s still plenty of track and field left.
“I’ll jump, stay consistent, stay around seven feet and go even higher.”
