Coming off a 6A title in the long jump – the first track and field state title by a Jefferson boy in 16 years – EJ Cozart Jr. has an extra spring in his step for his senior season.
Cozart offered a glimpse of what could be in store Saturday when he long-jumped a personal-best 24 feet, 3 ¾ inches in the Pacific Coast Shockwaves Invitational in Whittier, Calif.
The mark beat his previous best of 24-0, which he set last June, and vaulted him into a tie for No. 8 on the state's all-time list. The state record is 25-3 ¼, established by Grant's Harrison Schrage in 2016.
Jefferson coach Jordan Polk said that Cozart is ready to climb to another level after getting faster and stronger in the offseason.
“He has so much good pop,” Polk said. “If he gets right on the board, and just flies, the sky really is the limit for him. I just told him, 'If you stay on this course, I think you can go 25 feet at the state meet.'
“The biggest thing this year is we're going to stay patient. I'm pretty confident when we get to the state meet, we'll be where we need to be. He understands what the state championship comes with. Instead of being the hunter, you are the hunted now.”
The 5-foot-10 Cozart grew more than an inch since last year and added about 10 pounds of muscle. He is adjusting to his improved speed and explosion, as evidenced by his three scratches in four attempts Saturday.
“Once he gets on board, he is really tough to beat, for sure,” Polk said. “We're going to stay aggressive. We're not going to change the approach. We're going to stay in hunt mode, for sure.”
Cozart took up the long jump as a sophomore, when Polk became Jefferson's coach. Prior to that, Cozart had focused on sprints, high jump and pole vault.
“I saw him do little stuff in our drills and I said, 'I think you can long jump,' and he went out and did it,” Polk said. “We started seeing it during the season, and I was like, 'Hey, man, I think you can win state.'”
Last year, Cozart rose above a crowded field in the 6A meet to win with a PR of 22-11 ¼. He came back two weeks later to hit 24-0 in a meet at Union High School in Vancouver.
Competing for Hottest in the City Track Club – which Polk started three years ago – Cozart won the Junior Olympic state title in late June. He placed third at regionals and 18th at nationals in July.
After missing the 6A meet as a sophomore, when his best was 21-9 ½, Cozart is riding the momentum from his breakout junior season.
“With him winning the state championship last year, it brought a certain type of confidence to him,” Polk said. “He's been doubted his whole life, and he just wants to prove people wrong.”
Polk said that Cozart has track scholarship offers from Portland State, Montana State, North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T. Cozart, a two-time Portland Interscholastic League first-team receiver, also is interested in playing college football.
Polk, who was an all-state receiver at Lincoln and went on to a college football career at Washington, took advantage of Cozart's game-breaking ability as Jefferson's offensive coordinator. Cozart had 16 touchdown catches in the last two seasons.
“I tried to find little ways for EJ to get the ball in his hands and just be dynamic,” Polk said.
Pok said that Cozart has become like a son to him.
“He trusts me, I trust him,” Polk said. “I'm trying to stay in the moment because I know once he leaves, I'm going to be heartbroken. I'm going to miss him a lot.”
Mondo Track Club multi-event meet
Vale senior Claire Johnson and Union senior Jackson Davenport won titles in the Mondo Track Club Decathlon/Heptathlon on Friday and Saturday at Summit High School.
Johnson, the reigning 3A champion in the 100 and 200 meters, scored 4,104 points to take first place out of 25 girls finishers. She improved on her 3,436 points from last year's meet, when she placed fourth.
Crater senior Claire Davenport (3,695) and La Pine junior Sydney Schreiber (3,688) were second and third, respectively.
Jackson Davenport scored 5,742 points to top of 25 boys finishers. He outscored Roseburg senior Joseph Latham (5,424) and Nelson junior Asa Kirkland (5,367).
La Grande thrower moving up
La Grande junior Brogan Hedgepeth, who placed second in the discus and third in the shot in last year's 4A meet, already has notched personal bests in both events.
He opened the season March 20 by throwing the discus 183-5 in the Ontario Icebreaker, beating his previous best of 180-10. It is the best mark in the state this season.
Saturday in the Clay Lewis Invite in Hanford, Wash., Hedgepeth threw the shot 55-1 ½ to improve on his PR of 54-1 ¼. His throw ranks second in the state this season behind Junction City senior Kaleb Moore (58-5 ½), the reigning 4A champion.
jerryu@osaa.org
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