There might not be a combination of two sports, or (in the case of track and field) events, that complement each other more than basketball and the high jump. A four-year varsity high jumper and hurdler, Bruins senior Jack Fukuda used his leaping ability, among his other basketball skills, to help the Bruins basketball squad as an upperclassman. Despite playing just the two years with the basketball program, Fukuda was a team captain as a senior — a role he took to heart.
“At the beginning of the season I made it my job to become close with everyone on the team. I wanted to make sure everyone respects me,” remarked the senior on being a team leader. “I wanted to become friends with everyone, so they would all trust me when it came down to clutch situations.”
While correlation doesn’t always indicate causation, it certainly appears as if the cohesion of the team was a big factor in their success this year. The Bruins won league for the first time in eight years. Fukuda says it was the closest team he’s ever been a part of in any sport.
“I’m going to miss my teammates the most. I’ve played on a lot of teams and a lot of sports, this has been the closest team I’ve been on by far,” noted Fukuda. “On a lot of school teams, sometimes you don’t become close because they aren’t in your friend group outside the team. But that wasn’t the case for us, we were all friends.”
Fukuda was arguably the glue that kept all the friends together, making sure his team had no cracks, while leaping through the cracks in the opposing defenses.
“Jack was our captain, our voice of reason,” said Bruins Head Coach Tony McGilvery. “He was our stabilizing force, our most consistent and level-headed player.”
Fukuda is undecided on where he will attend school next year but is interested in biotech or bioengineering as a major and will continue to compete in the high jump and hurdles.
