Hawks’ high jumpers are contributing in a big way

Matt Metcalf, Sports Editor
Posted 3/3/15

There are many events in the sport of track and, to have a successful team, there needs to be contributions from a number of areas.

The Bishop Hendricken track team has been a force, winning 26 …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Hawks’ high jumpers are contributing in a big way

Posted

There are many events in the sport of track and, to have a successful team, there needs to be contributions from a number of areas.

The Bishop Hendricken track team has been a force, winning 26 state titles, but the high jumpers have largely flown under the radar in recent years.

But with a wave of new talent, the high jumpers have arrived at the forefront of contributors for the Hawks’ track team.

It was no more evident than last weekend, when senior and UMass-Amherst-bound Ben Murphy captured the state title at the Indoor State Championships – becoming just the second Hawk to win the high jump crown in the last 25 years.

Murphy had a leap of six feet, four inches, while junior Caleb Wurster placed sixth in the state with a jump of five feet, eight inches.

Hendricken high jump coach Tom Harkins couldn’t have been prouder of Murphy’s accomplishment.

“Ben is the second Hendricken high jumper to win the state championship in 25 years, so it’s great for our program,” Harkins said. “Hendricken has a great program and we really haven’t had a successful high jumper, with a couple of exceptions. It was very significant for Ben to do that – I’m very happy for him.”

This year marks the fourth year that Harkins has coached the Hawks’ high jumpers and he is very pleased with the rapid ascension in numbers from when he started until now. Overall, Harkins has a total of 13 high jumpers this year – the most in recent memory.

“This is the largest group of high jumpers that I’ve had and I’m quite sure it’s the largest in the state – and probably one of the biggest in New England,” Harkins said.

There’s no real answer for why the amount of high jumpers have increased over the past four years, but Harkins believes that the answer could be that there is now a coach that is solely dedicated to that particular event – something that not every track program in the state has.

“There are a lot of athletic kids at Hendricken,” Harkins said. “I think it’s as simple as someone who’s dedicated showing up and working with them. Before me, no one really could do it and we saw the result.”

The high jumpers will be losing their state champion next year, but the program will remain in good shape, as there is now tremendous depth among the group.

Three high jumpers scored at this winter’s freshmen meet, while three more earned points at the junior varsity meet.

Although there may not be another state champion among the group next year, there will undoubtedly be several candidates that will have the potential to place for the Hawks.

“We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores, so things are looking bright,” Harkins said. “We’ll have Wurster back, who was sixth at the state meet, as well as a number of other guys. It will be good.”

Between the three state meets, the Hawks had eight jumpers score, which was a great achievement for Harkins and his group. Not only is that feat unique to Rhode Island, but most likely New England, as well.

“It’s big for us and it’s a little bit different,” Harkins said. “We’re not used to scoring a lot of points in the high jump. It’s a real bonus for the whole team.”

Coaching the high jump is special for Harkins, but coaching the event at Hendricken, makes it even more special.

Harkins, a 1976 graduate of Hendricken, set the high jump record for the school while he was there, before jumping for the University of Rhode Island.

After that, Harkins moved to New Hampshire, but never lost his connection with Hendricken.

Every year, he would often email the coaches after the state meet asking about the high jump, but there were never any real standouts.

When Harkins bought some property in Rhode Island four years ago, he was asked to come help out – and he did.

Still primarily living in New Hampshire, though, Harkins usually drives down to work with the kids twice per week.

“It’s a labor of love, it really is,” Harkins said. “I love the school and the kids are great.”

Thanks to Harkins and the dedication of the athletes, the Hawks were able to put together the best year for Hendricken high jumpers in a long time – as no other school placed two high jumpers at the indoor meet.

The future certainly looks bright.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here