Schools
Masuk Track Star Hopes to Make the Jump to UConn
Mark Fuller at excelled at the New England Outdoor Track Championship, along with teammate Tyler John
Masuk High senior Mark Fuller left it all on the high jump mat this outdoor track season.
Fuller soared to a personal best 6-5 at the New England Interscholastic Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Vermont recently, securing a second-place medal. Junior teammate Tyler John continued to prove one of the state’s best at the pole vault with a 13-3 vault for a 10th-place finish.
Fuller’s personal best leap caps off an amazing senior year. This fall he was a cornerback on the Class L champion Panther football team and won All-SouthWest Conference (SWC) and All-State honors for indoor track this winter. His strong performance at the New England Championships follows a first-place finish in the high jump at the SWC championships and third-place finishes at the Class L Championship and State Open.
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“I definitely had more drive this year because I knew it was the last chance in high school,” Fuller said of his senior track season. “I really wanted to go to New Englands and that was my mindset for the entire season – to go as far as I could with it.”
Fuller's determination to excel in the high jump stems from a simple search for something to do in the football offseason. He joined the track team his sophomore year as a way to stay in shape and enjoy some of the team atmosphere that sports bring. That all changed when he posted an impressive 6-foot jump at his first meet.
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“The high jump was something I thought I would be good at and when I jumped six feet, I thought, 'OK, I'll stick with this for a while,'” he said.
Fuller did more than just stick with the high jump — he shot to the top. His natural ability qualified him for the Class L finals every season. Now, Fuller has his sights set on reaching greater heights with hopes of making the University of Connecticut track and field team next year.
“As the seasons progress and you meet more and more people, you look around and you realize that you can hang with these guys and it is just more fuel for the fire to keep going and competing,” Fuller said. “I really like the competition aspect of the high jump and the way it is set up. You really have to stay settled and focused and just perform under pressure.”
