Prep athletes of the week: Mounds View pole vaulter eyes 14 feet

Mounds View • track and field

As an infant, Julia Fixsen was obsessed with bouncing endlessly in her Johnny Jumper children's harness at home. As she grew up, gymnastics was a passion, as was time spent practicing flips and tucks on the backyard trampoline.

So it's no surprise that the junior has become the state's top female pole vaulter. There's nothing she would rather do than fly through the air.

Fixsen, who set the girls' state record with a vault of 13 feet, 9 inches at an indoor meet in March, won the event at the Class 2A, Section 5 meet with a vault of 13-6. She also won the high jump at 5-5.

"I've always been a jumper," she said. "I've always loved jumping. I like to go out, jump as high as I can and not worry about the height."

She has come a long way since her first experience as a pole vaulter, when, as an eighth-grader battling an illness, her first vault left her sobbing and nauseous. Now, she has her sights set on becoming the first Minnesotan to top 14 feet, perhaps at the upcoming state meet.

"I expect to go higher," she said. "I expect to jump at least 14 feet. I'm a little frustated that I haven't gotten it yet, but I know I will."

The junior was a three-event winner at the Class 2A, Section 5 meet. He won the 100 meters in 11.10 seconds and the 200 in 22.49, and he ran the second leg on St. Michael-Albertville's winning 4x100 relay team.

The senior outfielder provided the big hit in Park's 6-3 victory over Eastview in the Class 4A, Section 3 championship game. Her three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning gave the Wolfpack the lead for good.

The senior won three events at the Class 1A, Section 4 meet and qualified for the state meet in four events. She won the 100 hurdles (16.00), high jump (5-3) and triple jump (35-4½). She also was third in the long jump (17-3).

The eighth-grader normally plays No. 2 singles for the Mustangs, who are ranked No. 1 in Class 2A. But Swenson proved he's a legitimate top-of-the-lineup singles player by defeating teammate Petro Alex 7-6, 6-3 in the Section 4 final.

DAVID RODDY

JIM PAULSEN

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