Dakoda John has been lighting the track and field world on fire this season.

John, who won the 2A state title in the high jump and the 110-meter hurdles last year, is on a mission to get even better and maybe smash a few records along the way.

The senior cleared 6 feet 10 inches in the high jump once last year and has accomplished the feat twice this season. That mark is an Arizona state record in Class 2A, according to the Arizona Daily Star.

Thatcher’s Dakoda John takes flight in the high jump Friday at the Eastern Arizona Rotary track meet at Safford High School. John didn’t have his best day in the event, but he still won first place. He also won the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. Photo by Brian Wright

He set an even loftier goal for himself at the beginning of the season.

“In the high jump, I set a goal of seven feet,” John said.

He has come close to breaking the seven-foot barrier twice this season.

The first time was at the Bisbee Invitational on March 31, and John also came close at the Safford Booster Club Invitational on April 5.

“I’ve made a couple good stabs at it (seven feet),” he said.

Another goal John wanted to accomplish this year was to add 300-meter hurdle state champion to his resume.

In 2006, he finished second in the 300-meter hurdles.

John changed his “steps,” as he called them, before the Bisbee meet, and it certainly worked well.

Unfortunatley for John, sometimes he has to perform in the high jump directly after he runs the 300-meter hurdles, and he admitted that it makes things much more difficult.

“I’m sure that helps a lot — not having to run that long of a race and just kill yourself,” John said of doing the high jump before running the 300-meter hurdles.

He literally has no competition in the high jump at the local track meets.

His starting jump-height is usually higher than the other participants’ best jump of the day.

At the Safford Booster Club Invitational on April 5, his best jump (6’ 10”) was a full foot higher than the second-best jump.

John went to a meet in Chandler where two athletes jumped higher that he did, but this was before he changed his footwork, or “steps,” going into his jump.

“It was a little different jumping against somebody (on the same level). It kind of throws a different perspective at you,” he said.

John likes his chances of improving in the state finals.

“I’m pretty confident I’ll do good at state,” he said.

John said he doesn’t approach the hurdles any differently than he does the high jump.

“You just have to do as good as you can, and hope for the best,” he said.

Editor’s note: Please check the Wednesday Courier for full coverage and results of the Eastern Arizona Rotary track meet.