Can you picture someone with the ability to jump six feet off the ground? Maybe a basketball player comes to mind, however the closest reality to this actually comes from Track and Field, in particular, with the High Jump event. Imagine this: a bar, propped up 6 feet into the air, and you have to find some way to jump over it. Well one freshman here at East Islip High School has had great success in doing just that. 

This year, Joseph Norrby, a freshman at East Islip High School had great success in the High Jump Event for both Spring and Winter Track. During the Winter Track season, Norrby boasted a long list of achievements. In the Freshman/Sophomore Championship Meet, he placed first. In the Elite Indoor Meet, he places second. In the League Championship Meet, he placed first again. In the State Qualifying Meet, he placed first yet again, and in the State Championship meet, Norrby placed 13th overall, later also attending the Nike Indoor National Meet. More recently, he placed 2nd in the County Championships for Spring Track, and placed 2nd in the State Qualifying Meet, setting a personal record of jumping 6 feet 2 inches. According to Kevin Smith, East Islip Track and Field Captain for 2021-2022, Norrby is “one of the hardest workers on the team” and “his abilities […] brought him to the state and national championships in 9th grade which is unheard of around here.”

It’s clear Joe has had a great year for High Jump, but I asked him to elaborate on his motivation, his preparation, and his goals for the future. He painted a picture of high ambitions, clear goals, and great determination. We first talked about his motivation for his performance during each meet. He expressed how he relies a lot on music to get himself into the proper mindset. He usually listens to a playlist of his own creation in order to get himself into the right frame of mind to compete. These songs include “Lose Yourself” and “Godzilla” by Emimem, “Came and Saw” by Rowdy Rebel, “Elevate” from Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, and “Till I Collapse.” He also explained that the attitude of the team is also very helpful to get him fired up and ready to go. Most importantly however, is his family. He said his family is “very supportive, [and] they make it to every meet and cheer me on, which also gets me pumped up.” Therefore, I think the overall preparation for Norrby comes from his attitude and the people around him, helping him to achieve his best. We also talked extensively about his future plans for the event. From our conversations, Joe conveyed to me that he strives to go to a Division 1 college for High Jump, and possibly even another track event as well. Even beyond college, it seems, Norrby has further ambitions. He expressed interest in going to a global track and field event, maybe even the Olympics, however he also said that that would be a decision for him to make in the future. 

By looking at the story of Joseph Norrby, many might see it as a case of beginner’s luck. However, that is nothing near the truth. Although his talent for High Jump is undeniable, Norrby has been involved with track for a large part of his life. His recent successes are a culmination of all of his hard work and determination for success. His hard work has undoubtedly paid off, and only time will tell just how high Jumpin’ Joe Norrby will go.