HUMBOLDT — Humboldt High senior Sam Hull added to his storied sports legacy Thursday in grand fashion.
Hull opened what became a magical afternoon by earning a silver medal in the high jump, clearing a personal best 5 feet, 10 inches, at the Tri-Valley League Track Meet.
He then traded in his track shoes for baseball cleats, crossed the parking lot to the baseball diamond, and proceeded to club two home runs, drive in six, and lead the way to a 10-0 whitewashing of visiting Prairie View in the opening round of the Class 3A Regional Tournament.
The double duty was made possible once the state announced its first-round baseball pairings and times. Since Humboldt holds the top seed, it was assured of a playoff game at home — which happened to coincide with the league meet, typically held each year on the second Thursday in May.
Hull’s only difficulty was ensuring the high jump ended on time for him to get to the game
“I didn’t plan on them being so close in time,” Hull said.”I was expecting the league meet to start sooner.”
The event started about the same time Hull normally would have been taking practice swings in the batting cages.
But as the event unfolded, it meant plenty of waiting between jumps.
“Usually, I’m the first one in the batting cages, but that didn’t happen this time,” he said. “Luckily, the game didn’t start until about 5, so it all worked out.”
Hull said he was “OK” with his high jump work. “I’d like to do better, but I’m not upset with it.”
And his swing was locked in, after some extra work earlier in the week. “Coach Miller gave me some tips that just felt good. It was pretty quick to get locked in.”
(For additional information about the baseball game, read elsewhere in today’s Register.)
Hull was hardly the only standout on the track for the host Cubs.
Little lister Laney Hull was golden in the 300-meter hurdles, while Tori Melendez, Anna Heisler, Skylar Hottenstein and Ricklyn Hillmon teamed to win the 4×800-meter relay.
On the boys’ side, Kreed Jones was golden in the 3200-meter run. He added a third-place finish in the 1600 meters.
