Dusty Jonas

Dusty Jonas, one of the top high jumpers in the world, answered questions for the Kangaroo Track Club athletes and fans.

Dusty is not only a very talented athlete, but most importantly a great person. He is very giving to the sport and the kids (future jumpers).

Kangaroo Track Club and the high jump fans around the world are very exited for the opportunity to get to know you a little bit more. Thank you for being with us.

Elizabeth
What do you think to/tell yourself right before you take off to do the jump?

-Before I go to jump I visualize the perfect jump in my head. I start with my approach and picture myself running a great curve and having good speed. Then I picture myself clearing the bar. I don’t really have one thing that I tell myself, though. I guess it depends on what it is that I really need to keep in mind like speed, knee drive, take off, etc. 

Anna
Hi Dusty- First off I would just like to say that I think you are an amazing jumper and I really look up to you. My question is this-- I am a female, senior in high school, and the season starts in one week. I jumped for the first time back this morning, and had the same problem as last year--holding over the bar. I have plenty of speed, my curve and lean is correct,  I am driving my knee, and have plenty of ups, but I have a hard time holding over the bar and my timing is a bit off because sometimes I snap over the bar and need to wait just a split second. Do you have any tips/drills to help me with holding and timing? Thanks!

-Thank you for the compliments Anna, I really appreciate them. And the question you asked is a great one but will take a little time to explain, so be sure to take notes!

There are several things that could be keeping you from clearing the bar other than “snapping” or “holding” over the bar. If your curve, lean, and speed are correct, you might try to look at your takeoff angle. Sometimes if you don’t have enough horizontal velocity going into the pit, you are forced to “snap” over the bar or you end up coming down on it. There is some controversy as to what takeoff angle is the best but in my opinion it is around 30 to 40 degrees. To simplify, at the moment of takeoff, your foot should be pointed toward the back corner of the high jump pit.

In mine, and many others opinion, 90% of the high jump happens on the ground. After you leave the ground the path of your jump has already been predetermined. So if the angle isn’t right, or if you lose speed on your last few steps, this could be causing you to come down on the bar. If all this seems a little too much to take in, you could always try just keeping your hips up longer. Doing back overs off a box can help with this as well as backbends and other things that mimic the action. Another really good drill is one that my coach and I have used on several occasions. You just take a normal jump on a full or half approach, and keep your hips up until you drag the bar off with your feet. This gives you a little more time and it also lets you know how much time you have over the bar before you need to clear out. And remember, when you do drills, make sure you make them count! Don’t just go through the motions. Be sure and work on things that can help you during your jump!

I hope this helps!

Mike
I had the opportunity to see you jump at the high jump festival here in MN 2 years ago and I am a big fan of yours.
How did you like jumping at the festival? and are you coming back this year?

-Once again thank you for the compliments Mike. First I think the festival is a great event to have for the sport. I think it gives people a chance to just go out there and have fun with the high jump and my experience up there was a blast! I would love to come back up there this year if my competition and meet schedule allow it.

Lindsay
What do you think when you are about to Jump? And what do you think at the moment of jumping?

-The best thing to do before you jump is to think nothing but positive thoughts. I believe that a strong mind can accomplish anything, even in the high jump. So I just visualize the perfect jump and then go before negative thoughts start to filter in. As to what I think right at the take off…it’s really hard to say, mostly I’m just thinking, “Clear this bar.”

Megan
Do you have a girlfriend?
How do you deal with the pressure of your 3rd jump? I always freak out because it’s my last and never make it over.

-How did I know that someone was going to ask me this question? Yes I do have a girlfriend and she’s been great this track season. It’s hard sometimes to deal with someone being gone so much and she’s just been a trooper. She might be my biggest fan and that always helps me in the back of my mind.

On how to deal with pressure…much of any event is mental, especially in the high jump. It is one of two events in track and field that you end on a failure. So, mainly I try to make most of my jumps on my first attempt because that comes into play a lot more at an elite level. One miss can be the difference in first or fourth place. But when I do miss bars, even bars that I know I can make, I don’t panic. You just have to assess the situation and hopefully correct what you did wrong. Freaking out is like worrying in the fact that it’s like a rocking chair. Rocking will give you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere. So mainly I would just say not to worry about failed attempts, but rather learn from them and correct mistakes. Staying calm in pressure situations is definitely a good quality to work on.

Thanks for the question Megan and I hope this helps!

Brooke
What was the best advice you received in your jumping career?

-Brooke, a wise man once told me “Its better to look good, than to be good any day.” That wise man was my coach Gary Pepin. Not that it made much of a difference on jumping but it always kept me light spirited. But in all seriousness, it’s hard to pinpoint one thing that I’ve learned in my career as many people have had an influence on it. Mostly coach Pepin but also friends, family members, and teammates. I suppose the thing I’ve heard the most from anyone that is the best advice for a high jumper is “Run fast and jump high.”

Elizabeth
If you could re-live one jumping experience (positive) what would it be and why?

-That is another tough question Elizabeth! Gosh, there are a lot of experiences that I’ve had that I’ll never forget but one really stands out. It seems cliché that I would pick the day I set my personal best but it was just the perfect day for me. It was the Big XII meet outdoor my last season at Nebraska so it was my last shot to win a Big XII championship. I ended up jumping 7’8.75” (2.36m) and winning, setting a school record and a Big XII meet record. On that day nothing could have gone wrong, the stars aligned and great things happened. Also it set me up for the Olympic trials where I ended up making the team on a jump off. Both were great experiences but the Big XII championship was my favorite by far.

Beau
Is there anything you tell yourself after you have trouble for a long time clearing the next height?
What kind of training did you do in high school? How much training did you do for jumping outside of the season during high school?

-This is a hard question for me to answer but I’ll try my best. Of course this situation is discouraging because that one height will sort of become your own personal monster. I try to not let these bars get into my head because I know that sooner or later I will clear it. One thing that I do tell myself is to not change my jump. Unfortunately, trying harder won’t necessarily help you in the high jump. Usually you just make more mistakes so I would definitely encourage you to keep all of your jumps the same.

In high school I was just like any other athlete. I ran cross-country in the fall even though I wasn’t very good at all. It was mainly to get into shape for basketball. After the basketball season was over I went straight to track with hardly any training. My events would usually get better through the year with more practice. My main events were long jump, triple jump, and high jump. But as far as training outside of the season, I did AAU summer track so I had some time to do a little more specific training but after that season I took a big break so I didn’t wear myself out. Recovery is just as important as the work you put in!

Trevor
What was your highest height during your high school career?

-My highest height in high school was 7’3” (2.21m)

Hugo
Anything else that you may what to share with the KTC young jumpers and high jump fans out there?

-First of all I would like to say thank you for all the great questions! I really enjoyed answering them and it definitely gave me something to do during my time here in Doha at the world championships. I guess the best advice that I could give a jumper at any level is just to continue to work hard and to not get discouraged. There are days where your biggest competitor will be yourself and you have to find ways to overcome that. Strive to be better all the time, not just on the track but in life as well. High jump is like life in the fact that the harder you work the higher and farther you will go.

To the fans out there I would like to say thank you on behalf of every jumper out there. Without the fans we have nothing to work for. Fan support is very important in track and field and I hope that it’s a fan base that continues to grow as more people start to understand the sport. After all, it is one of the oldest and most pure sports on the planet.

In closing, I would just like to thank everyone for giving me an opportunity to share some of my knowledge with you. It has been a pleasure and I hope to do it again sometime. I hope to see you all continue to improve and remember, “Run fast, Jump High!”

In behalf of the high jump fans and the Kangaroo Track Club jumpers, THANK YOU DUSTY! Thank you for being with us, and for being such a great ambassador of the sport and young jumpers around the world.