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Boy Athlete of the Week:
Mike Tracy, Windsor, senior, track and field

By RICH RUPPRECHT
PRESS DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Published: Tuesday, April 28, 2009

When he was introduced to track and field in seventh grade, Windsor senior Mike Tracy never imagined it would develop
into an athletic activity he’d pursue in college.

Tracy’s winning mark of 6-feet, 9 inches in the high jump at the Woody Wilson Invitational at UC Davis two weekends ago,
gave him the top mark among high schoolers in Northern California. Tracy won Montgomery’s Viking Classic last weekend
at 6-4. Earlier, he tied for second at the Stanford Invitational at 6-6.

Tracy, who played football at Windsor his sophomore and junior years, and is also a strong long jumper and hurdler,
didn’t begin high jumping until he was a high school freshman. Although he did go 6-4 his freshman year, Tracy said it
took awhile before feeling comfortable jumping over a cross bar backward.

Less than two weeks ago, Tracy, who owns a 4.3 GPA and is taking advanced college courses, found out he’ll be attending
Cal and high jumping. He was told he’ll have two jumping coaches in college. “I’m really excited,” he said.

“He has great athletic ability and great technique and he’s a real hard worker,” said Windsor track coach Larry Arterberry.

Arterberry recorded Tracy’s jumps at the Woody Wilson, including his final attempt at 6-10, in which the 6-foot-4 Tracy
just caught the bar with his foot.

“The way he’s progressing he has a great position to place at state,” Arterberry said.

Because Windsor doesn’t have a usable track, Tracy practices with the rest of the Windsor team at Cardinal Newman.

Tracy said his current goal is to high jump seven feet. Last year, Tracy finished fourth at the NCS Meet of Champions,
but didn’t place at state. He’s also long jumped 21-1.

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