A year ago Bonita Vista’s Jenna Alvarado emerged as one of the top high jumpers in the Metro Conference, but when the CIF qualifiers came around her performance fell a little bit short of her desired goal. Now a senior, Alvarado hopes to benefit from last year’s experience and use it soar over her competition as she strives to become one of the county’s elite high jumpers.
“When she started she couldn’t high jump over four feet and I almost gave up on her, but she was just so persistent,” recalled assistant coach Joe Sheffield. “Jenna just doesn’t give up. Now she is one of the top jumpers in our conference. Her attitude is always I can do this and nobody is going to prove me wrong. She has cleared 4’10 so far and she has the potential to go a lot higher. This year we are going to do all we can to get her ready (for CIF competition) and I think she will make it.”
“I think I should have made it last year. I got really nervous and didn’t do as well as I should have. Throughout the winter I was lifting a lot in an attempt to get stronger. I have been working really hard. This is my last year so hopefully, I will make it farther this year.”
Alvarado is more than just a high jumper for the Barons. She is also a solid long jumper and triple jumper. There has even been some talk about using her as a pole vaulter. In the fall she excelled on the school’s volleyball team. Being a two-sport athlete worked well for her.
“Last year coach (Sheffield) helped me a lot with my jumping so my height in volleyball was a lot better. I saw myself improving so much in volleyball this season from what I was doing in track.”
While Alvarado is proud of her Mexican heritage, she feels pretty far removed from it as a completely Americanized teenager living in this country.
“My dad was born here and speaks almost no Spanish. I was born here too and I don’t speak it too well either. My grandmother was born in Mexico and she tried to teach me Spanish, but I was very stubborn when I was little and I never learned it. Now, I wish I could have. I have at least learned a little bit about my grandmother’s background.”
Like most high school athletes Alvarado will hang up her spikes when the season concludes later this spring. Then she will be competing in a different way.
Alvarado is hoping to attend Cal Poly in the fall in order to pursue a degree in graphic design. Her artistic talent and astronomical 4.3 GPA should open a lot of doors even at a tough school like Cal Poly.
“My mom is working now as a graphic designer and she has inspired to follow the same path.”
