It’s said that a high jumper should be able to clear their own height. Bonita Vista High School sophomore Jerry Stokes can do that — and then some.
Stokes stands five feet, nine inches tall. He cleared 6-4 to win the boys high jump event at the season opening Elmer Runge Invitational on March 1 and 6-3 at the Jim Cerveny Invitational on March 22.
He’s been consistent all season by clearing 6-2 in Metro-Mesa League dual meets against Eastlake and Olympian.
He won last year’s varsity league championship at 6-2 before placing fifth at the Division I finals and eighth at the section state-qualifying meet. His best last season was 6-6 in a dual meet at Otay Ranch.
His numbers appear trending upward this season.
What catches his fancy about the high jump?
“I think it’s unique by using your back to jump over the bar,” said Stokes, who elicited a rebounding roar in the BVHS gym by delivering a slam dunk in a league game against visiting Southwest.
Stokes is now routinely competing in the track and field spring season in three events: high jump, long jump and triple jump. He set a personal record at 21-5 in the long jump in the dual against Olympian and 41-5.5 in the triple jump at the Elmer Runge invite.
His season goals are to clear 6-8 in the high jump, possibly even 7-0, 21-0 in the long jump and 41-0 in the triple jump.
“You have to have form in the long jump, speed in the long jump and more form in the triple,” he said.
Bonita Vista basketball coach Stevon Dean Curry said in all his years of coaching he had never seen anyone under 5-10 execute a slam dunk.
“I felt energetic, amazed,” Stokes recounted.
With athleticism and coachability as his leading attributes, the BV multi-sport standout has set his sights on playing college basketball and track and field.
RUNNING EVENTS
B100: 1. Giovanni Ware (Olynpian) 11.60, 2. Sean Gibson (Olympian) 11.65, 3. Isiah Holmes (Olympian) 11.84
G100: 1. Aubrey Tibayan (Olympian) 12.55, 2. Gabrielle Hawkins (Olympian) 12.68, 3. Jamiya Marie Valenciano (Bonita Vista) 12.69
B200: 1. Jaylon Graves (Olympian) 23.69, 2. Franky Rodriguez (Olympian) 24.37, 3. Sean Gibson (Olympian) 24.48
G200: 1. Gabrielle Hawkins (Olympian) 25.82, 2. Ivanna Ruiz (Olympian) 26.28, 3. Mia Ramirez (Bonita Vista) 26.34
B400: 1. Jaylon Graves (Olympian) 49.98, 2. Franky Rodriguez (Olympian) 53.14, 3. Santiago Izaguirre (Olympian) 54.00
G400: 1. Gabrielle Hawkins (Olympian) 57.38, 2. Ivanna Ruiz (Olympian) 58.80, 3. Kelena Gallardo (Olympian) 1:03.02
B800: 1. Jordin Gibbs (Olympian) 2:06.97, 2. Sho Kaneko (Olympian) 2:07.19, 3. Aaron Tighe (Bonita Vista) 2:07.73
G800: 1. Isabel Lara (Olympian) 2:31.54, 2. Alyssa Alaman (Olympian) 2:45.29, 3. Leilani Uzarraga (Olympian) 2:47.29
B1600: 1. Jack Degenhardt (Olympian) 4:34.77, 2. Joshua Hoffman (Bonita Vista) 4:40.91, 3. Jordan Mationg (Olympian) 4:41.52
G1600: 1. Isabel Lara (Olympian) 5:23.76, 2. Renee Khuong (Bonita Vista) 5:40.78, 3. Morgan Murphy (Bonita Vista) 6:01.55
B3200: 1. Micah Schenko (Olympian) 10:00.78, 2. Memphis Gensler (Olympian) 10:25.03, 3. Adan Hurtado (Bonita Vista) 10:30.06
G3200: 1. Renee Khuong (Bonita Vista) 12:22.46, 2. Andrea Carrasco (Olympian) 13:16.71, 3. Mya Vasquez (Olympian) 13:59.27
B110HH: 1. Andrew Rillamas (Olympian) 16.25, 2, Seth Derek Dino (Olympian) 17.62, 3. Noah Farmer (Bonita Vista) 18.60
G100LH: 1. Sophia Getman (Olympian) 15.74, 2. Mackenie Koeppen (Bonita Vista) 18.13, 3. Greyson Rich (Olympian) 19.45
B300IH: 1. Andrew Rillamas (Olympian) 43.73, 2. Dillan Durruthy (Olympian) 45.20, 3. Noah Farmer (Bonita Vista) 45.23
G300LH: 1. Sophia Getman (Olympian) 50.58, 2. Greyson Rich (Olympian) 54.08, 3. Mackenzie Koeppen (Bonita Vista) 54.81
B4x100R: 1. Olympian (Dillan Durruthy, Isaiah Holmes, Giovanniu Ware, Sean Gibson) 44.64, 2. Bonita Vista (Maxwell Lewis, Gian Monroy Beltran, Adrian Cruz, Dakarrai Roberson) 46.28
G4x100R: 1. Olympian (Andrea Villarreal Enciso, Sarai Rodriguez, Gabrielle Hawkins, Aubrey Tibayan) 48.31; 2. Bonita Vista (Christina Harris, Jamiya Marie Valenciano, Mia Ramirez, Sofia Garay) 48.72
B4x400R: 1. Bonita Vista (Aaron Tighe, Dylan Funk, Elijah Villalobos, Julian Valdivia) 3:45.38
FIELD EVENTS
BSP: 1. Julian Carl Devera (Olympian) 42-3, 2. Edward Velasquez (Bonita Vista) 40-11.5, 3. Osiel Herrera (Bonita Vista) 37-0
GSP: 1. Sadie Ziemer (Olympian) 27-3, 2. Rebekah Silva (Bonita Vista) 23-7, 3. Lea Marshall (Olympian) 22-6
BDT: 1. Julian Carl Devera (Olympian) 42-3, 2. Edward Velasquez (Bonita Vista) 40-11.50, 3. Osiel Herrera (Bonita Vista) 37-0
GDT: 1. Lea Marshall (Olympian) 83-0, 2. Maddy Cameon (Bonita Vista) 69-5, 3. Sadie Ziemer (Olympian) 66-6
BHJ: 1. Jerry Stokes (Bonita Vista) 6-2, 2. Gian Monroy Beltran (Bonita Vista) 5-8, 3. Adrian Cruz (Bonita Vista) 5-2
GHJ: 1. Mackenzie Koeppen (Bonita Vista) 4-6, 2. Sydney Asman (Bonita Vista) 4-4
BPV: 1. Nicolas Wise (Bonita Vista) 10-3, 2. Khayai Kafaji (Olympian) 9-6, 3. Noah Farmer (Bonita Vista) 9-0
GPV: 1. Nevaeh Thammakhotvo (Olympian) 7-6, 2. Madison Dyer (Olympian) 7-0, 3. Lois Cho (Olympian) 6-0
BLJ: 1. Collin Gainer (Olympian) 21-7, 2. Jerry Stokes (Bonita Vista) 21-5, 3. Christopher Morris (Olympian) 17-5
GLJ: 1. Christina Harris (Bonita Vista) 18-1, 2. Ella Gomez (Bonita Vista) 15-4, 3. Karis Ford (Olympian) 14-9
BTJ: 1. Collin Gainer (Olympian) 42-5, 2. Adrian Cruz (Bonita Vista) 41-7, 3. Roycer Ferrer (Olympian) 39-4
GTJ: 1. Christina Harris (Bonita Vista) 36-6, 2. Ella Gomez (Bonita Vista) 32-1, 3. Angela Dittman (Olympian) 27-2
Photo Gallery by Paul Martinez
Photo Gallery by Phillip Brents
