Defending State Class 1-A high jump champion Jaron Van Maanen from Lynnville-Sully made the second best all-time jump for an Iowa prep Tuesday at the B-G-M Invitational at Brooklyn with a leap of 7-2. The effort is and made the junior the fifth Iowa high schooler all-time to reach the seven foot mark. Van Maanen’s previous best jump was six-foot-eight-inches, but coach Kurt Harthoorn says he knew Van Maanen could go higher. He says he’s had some jumps at six foot-ten where he thought they were sure he would hit it ,and he says they’ve worked with him to get used to being up that high. Harthoorn says the technique is important to making the big jump, as it’s important to get used to being so high up in the air.Van Maanen has qualified for three events at the Drake Relays. Brian Tietjens of North Central cleared seven feet three and half inches in the 1981 Class 2-A State Meet for an overall Iowa State Meet record and all-time best.
