ELGIN — Oregon’s jaw-dropping recruiting pitch sold Keith Drapeau in a heartbeat.
Historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. — which has been the home of legends such as Steve Prefontaine, Ashton Eaton, Galen Rupp, Alexi Pappas and others throughout the years, in addition to hosting the NCAA outdoor track and field championships each spring — was being torn down this past summer on the Elgin high jumper’s official visit, but the storied track and field venue’s rebirth when renovations are complete in March of 2020 captivated Drapeau.
“It’ll be the finest track and field facility in the world when it’s done,” said Oregon assistant track and field coach Seth Henson, who is in charge of recruiting and vertical jumps for the Ducks. “I expect you to be here competing for a national championship in Oregon.
“So why not compete wearing a Ducks uniform and do it on your home field?”
“I felt like I was dreaming. Right then I thought, ‘This guy is onto something,’” recalls Drapeau, who was crowned the Class 5A state high jump champion this past spring when he cleared 6 feet, 8 inches at Yukon High School, the same place former Yukon great and current Oklahoma Sooner All-American high jumper Vernon Turner — who still speaks with Drapeau occasionally and is a three-time state champ and the reigning Big 12 outdoors champion for his leap of 7 feet, 5 3/4 inches last spring — set the high school national record with a leap of 7 feet, 6 inches in April of 2017.
“I remember when I was younger and would go to meets with Vernon Turner, see him jump and think, ‘That’s what I want to do. I want to have that effect on people,’” Drapeau recalls. “Once you clear the bar, there’s no other feeling like it for me. I love how everyone gets involved at track meets and when you clear a high height how everyone loses their minds. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
After Drapeau sets out to defend his high jump title this spring, the 6-foot-1-inch senior will pack his bags for the Pacific Northwest and Tracktown, USA where he will high jump for the premier track and field program in the nation, the University of Oregon.
“It’s been surreal. Oregon has always been a dream school,” said Drapeau, who made his commitment to the Ducks official on Friday when signing his national letter of intent alongside friends, family, coaches and teammates at the Elgin High School Library. “I don’t like being the center of attention, but today felt comfortable. It was still a bit awkward for me because I hate everyone watching unless I am jumping, but it was great how proud everyone was of me.”
Two proud supporters were Drapeau’s coaches, Elgin head boys track and field coach Jon Hughes and girls coach Tomi Lorah, who specializes with the high jumpers and has helped Drapeau reach his potential.
“With Oregon being the cream of the crop, that’s an amazing opportunity when those guys come calling for you,” Hughes said. “We take for granted that those guys at Oregon are out-of-this-league type athletes. To have one from here at Elgin is very special. We’re very proud of Keith.”
In addition to his gaudy high jump numbers, Lorah believes that Drapeau — who is considering earning a degree in sports medicine and pursuing physical therapy or the chiropractic path — impressed Oregon with his grades.
Lorah also knows his lofty goals for his senior season of jumping over 7 feet will set him up for success at the next level.
“Half the battle is keeping seniors engaged, but Keith is so fortunate to have big things in his future that I think this will be his best year yet,” Lorah said. “We are so proud of him. He makes friends so easily so I think he’ll go to Oregon and make a huge impact. He’s gonna be a success story.”
When Drapeau jumped 6 feet, 10 inches this past summer competing unattached at USATF-sanctioned meets, word started spreading of a state high jump champion who was now soaring even higher.
More and more coaches began reaching out to Drapeau and not long after achieving a new personal best, he received an email from Oregon, which he initially assumed to be from admissions.
Nope, the email was from a coach.
“There are actually big schools that want me,” Drapeau thought. “It completely blew me away.”
Drapeau is still in disbelief he’s now a Duck.
“It still doesn’t feel real as of right now. I’m sitting here thinking, ‘Wow, I’m actually going to Oregon for track and field.’ I’m ready to get to work.”
cOachable
Lorah saw the potential of a quality jumper, but the Elgin coach knew Drapeau needed to develop technique in middle school.
“He was rough on form,” Lorah said. “He pretty much just ran and jumped.”
By the time he entered high school, Drapeau hit a growth spurt as he continued to work on his form. He would stay longer and longer after practice, performing drills over and over to a T to refine his craft.
In turn, his confidence grew.
“Keith is a very level-headed kid to begin with. He’s not one who will get way high up or way down regardless of the situation. He’s very relaxed and calm in normal everyday life,” Hughes said. “On the track when things go well, he’s not overly confident with a huge ego walking around like he’s the best in the world. When things go bad for him, he’s not down in the dumps moping.
“He’s even keeled so no matter what happens he can always focus on that next jump.”
Focusing too much on jumping though quickly became a problem. Most days he would come to practice excited saying, “Coach Lorah, let’s jump today — full jump with steps and everything!”
“Keith loves to jump," Lorah said. "But he had to mature and learn that it’s not good to full jump every day."
Lorah set it back to full jumps twice a week while the rest of the week consisted of three-quarters jumps, drills, running and core work.
“Whatever we tell him to do, he is extremely coachable,” Hughes said. “Keith and coach Lorah work extra hours and are fine-tuning things I don’t even recognize.”
Entering the field at the 6-foot mark was the beneficial result.
“You have to be confident enough to where you don’t have to come in jumping at the low height,” Lorah said. “By the time you get to the high height — if you start low — your legs are tired because you can only jump so much.”
By the time Drapeau gets to the mid-6-foot range at most meets, the competition is himself.
“It’s always a challenge with the elite kids like Keith who are competing against themselves,” Hughes said. “You can never let him be satisfied being in first place having jumped 6-8 when he can really jump 6-10. You have to push them.”
Most high school athletes don’t appreciate that accountability factor, but Drapeau has, realizing he can’t reach his potential without it.
“Coach Hughes and coach Lorah are some of the hardest ones on me because I know they expect me to be great. They push me harder than anyone else does,” Drapeau said. “On days I don’t do well and am upset with myself, they are even more upset because all three of us know I’m capable of more than that.”
Drapeau’s coachability at the high school level is what ultimately led him to Eugene.
“Keith is so grounded in his goals and has worked so hard to achieve them. He’s so coachable,” Lorah said. “Sometimes we send athletes off to college, but we know in the back of our minds they aren’t real coachable. Keith, on the other hand, will do anything you ask him to do.
“Keith thinks I’m the greatest high jump coach around even though I’ve never jumped in my life. I just learned a bit about it,” Lorah continued. “That says something about his ability to be coached and it’s the reason he’s been so successful.”
Drapeau believes he can be just as successful in Tracktown, too.
“At Oregon, I don’t see any reason why I can’t be the best,” Drapeau said. “I’m the kind of person where you tell me what I need to do and I’ll go take care of it.”
Sky is the limit
Keith Drapeau still can’t wrap his mind around the fact he’s jumping higher in the air than he stands on the ground.
“It blows my mind every time,” Drapeau said. “I also know I’m capable of more than I’ve jumped. I’m a 7-foot jumper in practice — just haven’t put it together in a meet yet. Once I get to Oregon with world class facilities to train in, world class coaching, the sky is the limit. So I’ve always told myself why not me?”
Drapeau developed that “Why not?” mantra from Thunder phenom Russell Westbrook, who coined the inspirational phrase.
In addition to defending his high jump crown, this spring Drapeau wants to help develop younger Owls for the future while striving for the 7-foot mark with hopes of clearing 7 feet, 2 inches before graduating.
Hey, why not?
Back in middle school, Lorah laughed at “bucket jumpers” who would still have their head up and butt down when leaping over the bar, appearing as if the jumper’s butt is stuck in a bucket.
Now Lorah jokes with the future Oregon Ducks high jumper.
“You’ve come really far from being a bucket jumper.”
