Hassler jumping for joy as Track Athlete of the Year
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| Senior Matt Hassler became the second state high jump champion from Hall High School when he cleared 6-7 at Charleston. |
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SPRING VALLEY — Leaving Charleston in 2007 and not qualifying for Saturday’s finals in the high jump did not sit well with Hall’s Matt Hassler. However, the good news that came out of that is he still had one year left to make another run and use that experience to get to finals.
The Red Devils senior and Monmouth College recruit did more than just qualify for Saturday’s finals. He topped the entire field and left Charleston as the Class A state champion.
Hassler’s championship effort has earned him the 2008 BCR Boys Track and Field Athlete of the year.
One of Hassler’s goals was to go undefeated in 2008, but he hit a bump in the road on April 18 at the Rock Falls Invite. Hassler cleared 6-4, but was unable to get the win as Indian Creek’s Randall MaKarrall won the high jump event.
The last laugh of the 2008 track season, though, went to Hassler as he cleared 6-7 on his first attempt during finals at Charleston.
“Matt worked very hard this past year,” Hall coach Rob Malerk said. “He wanted to go undefeated, but I think he will settle for one loss and a state championship.”
Having cleared 6-7 on his first attempt gave Hassler the chance to sit and relax while MaKarrall and Isiah Simelton of West Frankfort had three attempts each to join Hassler at 6-7.
“I kind of joked with the coaches before the finals in Charleston, saying wouldn’t it be nice if I ended the year with just the one loss,” Hassler said. “I thought I would do well, but didn’t expect to win the championship.”
As MaKarrall was out having missed all three opportunities, one of the athletes sitting on the bench next to him said, “Hey, if he misses you win.”
“I kept saying to the guys on the bench, ‘No way both these guys are going to miss,”’ Hassler said. “I was concentrating on clearing 6-8. I really thought at least one of the two guys, at least, would clear 6-7.
MaKarrall did miss, and the state championship then belonged to Hassler. Hassler became just the third Hall boys’ athlete to win a state crown and the second to do it in the high jump.
So how, exactly, does a guy about 5-foot-10 or 5-11 clear 6-7? It was a question Hassler was asked many times, and he really doesn’t have an answer.
“I’m not really sure,” Hassler said laughing. “Hopefully, they’ll be asking me how do I clear 7-0 or more at 5-10 or 5-11, at Monmouth College.”
Early in the season, Hassler cleared 6-6 on a couple of occasions to set the tone for the season.
“I think that really helped set the tone for the season,” Hassler said. “At first, I won the state indoor meet at Illinois Wesleyan University and thought maybe I was just doing well indoors, but I was lucky enough to carry that over when we went outdoors as well.”
At the Illinois Valley Conference meet in Ottawa, Hassler again topped the field at 6-3 and also anchored the 4 x 200 relay team to a first-place finish with a time of 1:33.8.
His jump of 6-3 1/4 gave him the sectional crown at Princeton in the high jump, but the 4 x 200 team set a new school record with a time of 1:32.54.
“Me and some of the guys started talking after last season that we wanted to break the school record,” Hassler said. “We were close throughout the season, and then we were able to break the record in the 4 x 200 at Princeton.”
Malerk said Hassler, who also played football and basketball for the Red Devils, is an exceptional all-around athlete, not just high jumper.
“To be the anchor on the 4 x 200 relay team that got to state shows the athlete he is,” Malerk said. “He also had a very good year in other events such as the long jump and sprint races.”
Before winning the state high jump title, Hassler competed in the Peoria Journal Star Honor Roll meet.
In the long jump, Hassler leaped a distance of 20-0 1/2 to win the event. The mark of more than 20 feet was good for second-best jump in the area in 2008.
“I really enjoyed competing in the different events this year,” Hassler said. “I think if I work hard with the coaches at Monmouth I can clear 7-0.”
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