University of Minnesota Athletics
Reach for the Sky - Gopher High Jumper Matt Fisher
2/25/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Track & Field
As a high school freshman, Matt Fisher wanted to be a hurdler. Knowing Fisher’s basketball background, though, his coach refused to let him try anything else until he tried high jump. His coach knew what he was doing—Fisher went on to win two Wisconsin state high school titles in high jump. His senior year, he cleared 7 feet for the first time.
“I was ecstatic,” Fisher said. “For the top level of high school high jumpers, 7 feet’s a pretty big standard to meet. So my first time getting it, it was crazy. I went nuts.”
Fast forward to 2009. The track season was looking good for Fisher. Then a junior at Minnesota, Fisher had won the Big Ten indoor title with a height of 7-3, tied for the third best indoor jump in Gopher history. He had been named the Big Ten Field Event Athlete of the Year for the indoor season. At the indoor NCAA Championships, Fisher didn’t clear opening height, but he still had the outdoor season ahead of him.
During the outdoor season, he cleared 7-4 1/2, a new personal record and the third best outdoor jump in school history. Fisher was headed to Fayette, Arkansas, for NCAA nationals.
That’s where things fell apart. After clearing 6-8 3/4, Fisher ruptured his Achilles tendon, forcing him to withdraw from the competition. In addition to the pain caused by the injury, Fisher also felt disappointment that he was not able to finish the competition.
“I was tied for the top jump in the nation going into it, so I definitely had high expectations,” he said.
After returning home from Arkansas, Fisher had surgery to repair the tendon. Luckily, the injury was to his left Achilles, not his right plant foot. Still, recovery was a long process.
“After surgery, I couldn’t leave my couch for two weeks,” Fisher said. “Then it was six weeks in a cast, and then ten more weeks in a boot, and all sorts of rehab after I got the cast off.”
All that waiting made Fisher eager to get back to normal.
“I was ready to start jumping right when I got the boot off,” he said. “Once I got cleared to start doing stuff, I was ready to jump right there, but I knew I had to take it slow, kind of ease back into it a little bit so I didn’t reinjure myself.”
Now well into his senior season, Fisher has won the high jump at both the Bill Bergan Invitational in Ames, Iowa—his first meet since the injury—and the Brooks Classic in River Falls, Wisconsin. He has had some success, but he isn’t completely satisfied.
“(This season has) been a work in progress,” he said. “The last couple meets haven’t been what I expected or what I wanted, but I think I’m just pressing too hard or expecting a little too much out of myself right away. But it’s all starting to come together. It’s been a good season so far.”
The season could be even better for Fisher and the Gophers if they do well at the Big Ten Indoor Championships this weekend in Minneapolis. Minnesota, which also won the outdoor title last year, is looking to win its second consecutive indoor title.
“My big goal for this weekend is just to win,” said Fisher. “I can’t really set a height goal going into it, but it’s definitely just to take first, get those 10 points for the team. That’s the big goal, to win the team championship again.”
On this talented Gophers team, Fisher is one of several athletes with a chance to not only win Big Ten titles, but also to compete at NCAAs again.
“I’m hoping to improve on my mark a little bit this weekend so that I don’t have to do a last chance meet, so I can take a week off before nationals,” he said. “I’m hoping to be up there. Last year, indoor and outdoor were kind of both disappointments nationally.”
Even with those lofty goals, Fisher is not all business. Known as “Matticus” among friends, he says that he can be “really loud, kind of goofy at times.” He also enjoys going back to his basketball roots, saying that “anytime we get to do anything involving basketball for practice, it’s awesome.”
A sociology major, Fisher isn’t sure what career path he will choose. He hopes to finish his degree in the fall and then go to graduate school. One thing that’s certain is that he won’t be leaving track and field completely behind.
“As long I’m still healthy, I’m going to keep training,” Fisher said.
For someone who originally didn’t want to do high jump—or even for someone who did—Matt Fisher has had an impressive career. Considering that he originally didn’t want to high jump, it is funny that he now wants to continue doing so after his college eligibility is done. Of course, most people can’t jump 7 feet—if you’re one of the people who can, why not keep going?
- Written by Justine Buerkle, Athletic Communications Student Assistant
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