Eli Hylen Could Become A Three-Time State Champion

Eli Hylen, Saint Francis High School Class of 2019

MSHSL Meet Performances:

2017 High Jump State Champion (Career best 6-8)

2016 High Jump -17th Place

Who has coached you?

My head coaches are Mark Hanson and Brittany Kurtz.

Shane Magnuson is my high jump coach.  He was a hurdler and high jumper when he was athlete.  He went 6-4 in high school despite having a broken ankle.  He really helped me make huge improvements last year. Before that, I had Terry Nutter as my coach.  Nutter actually used the Western Roll when he was in school so was not able to help out with the high jump as much.  But he's still with us and is a great long jump coach. We have long jumpers at State almost every year.

What adversities have you had?

In seventh grade I had some shin splint problems because I was doing so many sprinting and jumping activities.  Then in my freshman season I developed some back problems.  As a sophomore I dislocated my shoulder in basketball. To solve the back problems I went to a chiropractor and also balanced out my weight training program so that I now develop both the front and the back of the body equally well.  The exercise that helped him the most was the Glute-Ham Hyper Exercises. The dislocated shoulder was pretty much healed up by the time track & field started but initially it was a bit of a mental problem.  It did not take me long to get over that however.

Who are your main competitors?

The high jump field was very tough last year, and although I would be disappointed if I lost this year, the competition is strong again.  I do not really get a chance to compete against people in regular meets.  I am more concerned about how well I personally do.  In fact one of the neat things about the high jump is everyone is very nice to each other and we even help each other sometimes.  It is a very social event.

I know that Maguire Petersen of Hutchinson who I competed against during the summer is going to be very tough this year.  Noah Cvetnic of Chaska will also be good this year.

Who were some former teammates who helped you when you were learning to high jump?

Tyler Pallum and Lucas Carroll helped me with the high jump and in the weight room. They especially helped me to learn how to squat with correct form.

Who else cheers and encourages you?

I have a lot of support from my family. My father Matt Hylen grew up on a farm when he was young, but otherwise he would have been a good athlete. I enjoy working at my grandfather's farm during the summer.  My mom Angie Hylen won't brag about her athletics, but she played volleyball, basketball, and track & field in high school.  She was an all-conference 800 meter runner.  My parents are at every meet.  I also have two older brothers Ben and Alex who were in sports who help me.

What I do is type out goals in my phone notes and meditate on them.

How did St. Francis do in track & field last year?  How do you expect the team to do this spring?

Amanda Anderson, Tommy Schweiger, Genuine Matthews, and I competed in the 2017 state meet, and three of us came home with State titles!  Since we are losing those great athletes it's hard to say how will do.  But I know that we do have some good young people coming up.

What do you do besides sports?

I have a 3.2 GPA, I have been in choir for the last three years, and I enjoyed being in the Madrigal Dinner Theater last year.  Madrigal Dinner Theater is written by students who also serve dinner to the guests.  It gets me out of my comfort zone!  I have also been a cook at Mansetti's Pizza and Pasta for the last year and a half. 

Do you have any college plans yet?

I certainly want to be a scholarship athlete at a 4-year college for track.

Do you have any suggestions or tips for the high jump?

Beginners will want to first develop their J-shape approach run.  Next you have to determine which foot you will use to jump with.  The foot you use is the outside foot. Most of the time I jump about a foot and a half from the bar, however the higher the jump the further out I will be from the bar. Throw your arms back on the second to the last step, then on the very last step you push/punch them up. There are jumpers who use only one arm but I always teach younger jumpers to use both arms. Next plant your foot and then let your body carry you up, rotate your body 90 degrees as you go up.  Then you must throw your head back once you are over the bar.  Finally float over the bar and then extend your legs.  You try to land on your upper back or shoulder blades.  You want to avoid landing on your head or neck - that's how I hurt my back as a freshman (and that is another reason it is important to strengthen your entire back).

In short, run a tight curve, plant the last step quickly, and explode off it quickly. Do not stick your foot on the ground for very long.  The contact must be quick. We do not want to "power-jump," we want to "quick jumpers."

2017 High Jump Results