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Vol. 55, No. 51
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WARSAW’S FLYING TIGER Jordan Randall worked his way to two state championships in high jump By NATHAN PACE Staff Writer It was fitting for Jordan Randall to have to deal with a couple of lightning delays at the state finals, because Randall is quite possibly the most electric athlete in Warsaw history. Randall won his second state high jump title Saturday, June 6, and has even higher aspirations when he gets to the University of Georgia in the fall. Randall says the key to high jump is confidence. “A lot of it is knowing that I can do it. With high jump if you don’t think you can do it, you can’t,” Randall said. At 5 feet, 7 inches, Randall was quick to clear heights that were taller than him well before he arrived at the high school level. The typical high jumper tends to be one of the taller athletes on the track team but he never let height be a factor in the sport. “Height doesn’t matter,” Randall said. “A lot of people will try to tell you that height matters. Height does not matter at all as you can see with me. Just believe in yourself, just believe that you can do it.” Randall began practicing high jump in the fourth grade, but the sport flipped from a hobby to a passion at the end of middle school, when he won a national competition in Greensboro, N.C. “In eighth grade I just took off and we were like, ‘Let’s go to nationals,’ and I ended up winning it,” Randall said. Randall jumped 6 feet, 9 inches by the end of his freshman season and was now a rising star. He had played basketball his freshman year with the Tigers but was solely focused on
FINAL TIME HOME — Warsaw senior Jordan Randall set a new school record at his final home meet Thursday, May 28, in the Warsaw Regional. Photo by Nathan Pace.
track and field his final three seasons. With high jumping, athletes can choose their first height to compete at for a competition. Randall chose to have his first jump be 6-4 his sophomore year and moved it all the way to 6-8 as a senior. “Taking less jumps conserves your energy for those higher jumps,” Randall said. His dad, James Randall, was his high jump coach and Randall is thankful his father did not push him too far. “He never puts pressure on me at all. We always get along.” Randall said. Handling pressure is another key Randall says contributes to his success. “When I feel pressure I just find a way to turn it into something good,” Randall said. Randall also credits California high jump coach Troy Haines and his Warsaw track coach Scott Erba, “Erba is the best coach I’ve had in my life. He’s turned me into the athlete that I am today,” Randall said. His junior year saw Randall win the Nike Indoor Nation-
als in New York followed by his first state championship in June of 2025. Randall repeated at the Nike Indoor Nationals this year but admits his outdoor track season had a slow start. “The first three quarters of outdoor were just rough. A lot of meets, the weather was so bad and the track was so bad that I just took one jump and won the meet and stopped. Watching other people around the country jump well hurt but then I got back up there with them.” He cleared 7-2 at the Warsaw Regional May 28 to break his own school record. He matched the height at the state finals to win his second state title. At Georgia, Randall hopes to clear 7-7, meaning he would be jumping two feet above his height. Until then he is grateful for the experience he has had at Warsaw. “I couldn’t ask for a more supportive community than Warsaw. They are just amazing. The support I get from friends, teachers, administrators and people in my athletic department who hold me accountable - it is amazing.”
A NEW HIGH POINT — Warsaw senior Jordan Randall puts on his new state championship medal for the first time Saturday, June 6. Photo provided by Benson Nguyen.