By Kim Ly
Junior Jonathan Yu takes a deep breath as he dashes down the line to complete three simple yet excruciatingly difficult tasks: hop, step, jump. He’s flying through the air until he lands and the distance reads: 47’2”.
It’s a personal record (PR) and it’s also the score that makes him second in California for the triple jump.
More recently, Yu has also competed in various categories at nationally recognized meets, like the Arcadia Invitational and the Mt. Sac Invitational. At the Arcadia Invitational, FVHS competed against 547 other schools and it’s an extreme feat to have placed which Yu has accomplished. In the 300-meter hurdles, Yu placed 19th with a time of 41.27. For the triple jump, Yu placed eighth with a distance of 45’8.75”. At the Mt. Sac Invitational, which consisted of about 60-70 schools, Yu placed sixth in the triple jump with a distance of 45’3”.
Though, Yu wasn’t always good at track and field. His journey first started in his pre-teen years when he competed for his middle school team. It was only when he reached Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) did he start taking the sport more seriously.
“My middle school had a track and field program that wasn’t really that big, but, for seventh and grade, at least, I did triple jump and long jump. I kind of just grew into it,” Yu said.
His hard work and dedication to track has definitely shown in his scores. During the 2020-2021 season, his PR for the triple jump was 45’5. With his triple jump from the Orange County Championships, his PR now stands at 47’2—an almost two-inch increase from last year. Yu does quite well in other track and field events as well. In Sunset League rankings, he’s third in the 300-meter hurdles and fourth in the long jump.
To prepare for such meets, Yu focuses on getting enough rest the night before so that he’s physically well. However, mentally, Yu has a rather unconventional way of preparing his mind. The night before a match, Yu hypes himself up by playing a Japanese rhythm game called “osu!” to get himself in his own rhythm.
Despite his lofty records as a junior and the mini-rituals he does before matches, overall, Yu doesn’t stress himself out that much over track and field. He isn’t really all that focused on breaking records or becoming the next Olympic track and field star. Rather, Yu’s main focus is simply improving himself—both physically and mentally—and spending time with his fellow teammates. In fact, it’s actually his favorite part of the sport; track and field truly shines for Yu when he’s surrounded by the sport’s supportive community.
“For me, [track and field]—I use it more as a place to meet friends and kind of grow as a person,” Yu said. “I like it because it helps build my character and I get to see new things that I’ve never seen before.”
Going forward, Yu notes that he hasn’t thought that much about his future and is simply going with the flow. Though, he still sees track and field as a part of his life in the far future. He’s interested in competing in college, but even if he doesn’t compete, he’s forever grateful for the sport for the community he’s gained from it. Both his coaches and teammates have left an everlasting impression on him and have helped him become who he is today.
Yu specifically notes that the class of 2021’s Tim Duong and the class of 2020’s Tommy Lu have left a major impact on him.
“My main inspiration is actually … Tim Duong; he really helped me. Tommy Lu is also another alumni who still comes back to coach us and it’s like—I just love that we’re able to have that [community],” Yu said.
Yu is still growing as both a track and field athlete alongside as a person, but for now, he is simply focused on enjoying his junior year season with his teammates. No matter where he goes in the future, Yu is sure to be jumping onto greater things.
