Fischer Clears 7-2 1/2, Stays Undefeated Outdoors

Jeremy Fischer, who graduated from Camarillo High last week, hit a grand slam of sorts Saturday when he won the high jump in the USA Track & Field Junior championships at Florida State.

Fischer cleared 7 feet 2 1/2 inches to turn back Henry Patterson (7-1 1/2) of Toledo University and Eric Bishop (7-0 1/4), who recently graduated from Murray County (Ga.) High.

Bishop cleared a personal best of 7-4 1/4 to defeat Fischer (7-2) in the National Scholastic Indoor championships in March, but he has been unable to keep pace with Fischer outdoors.

The top two finishers in each event qualified for the U.S. team that will compete July 14-15 in a meet against Canada, Jamaica, Cuba and Japan in Buffalo, N.Y., and in the World Junior championships July 20-24 in Lisbon, Portugal.

Fischer’s victory kept him undefeated outdoors this season and followed victories in the state championships, Golden West Invitational and National Scholastic Outdoor championships the previous three weeks.

“I’m really stoked right now,” Fischer said. “My main goal coming in here was to qualify for the team and win so I’m really happy.”

Fischer, third in last year’s meet, cleared 6-7 1/2 on his opening height before passing at 6-8 3/4, 6-9 3/4 and 6-11.

He made 7-0 1/4 on his second attempt before clearing 7-1 1/2 on his third.

Patterson took the lead temporarily by making 7-1 1/2 on his second attempt, but Fischer won when he cleared 7-2 1/2 on his second try and Patterson missed all three of his.

Fischer concluded the competition with three misses at 7-5, which would have broken the state record of 7-4 1/2 set in 1983 by Maurice Crumby of San Francisco Balboa High.

His first and third attempts at 7-5 were not close, but he narrowly missed the second.

“I’m still trying to find the thread on his uniform that knocked the bar off,” Coach Dennis Riedmiller said. “I really thought he had it.”

So did Fischer, who has a personal best of 7-4.

“I still don’t know what I hit it off with,” he said. “I felt good going over the bar, but it came off when I hit the pit.”

Fischer’s clearance at 7-2 1/2 marked the seventh meet this season in which he’s jumped 7-2 or higher and the 11th time this season he’s cleared at least 7 feet.