J Hopkins is different. He stands out on the track. Doug Hall, who coaches Hopkins at Everett High School, is beginning his ninth season leading the Seagulls track and field program. Runners like Hopkins don’t come around very often, said Hall.
Sometimes, no matter what else is going on, it’s impossible for Hall to avoid watching the senior hurdler, who “looks so different than the rest of the kids he’s competing against. He’s just in a different league,” Hall said.
“There’s certain kids you have to stop and watch,” Hall added, “because you don’t know how many times you’re going to be able to see them compete.”
Opportunities to watch Hopkins at local venues are evaporating every week. This season he hopes to cap his Everett career by defending his Class 3A state title in the 300-meter hurdles and helping the Seagulls win their second-consecutive 3A team championship.
Last season Hopkins placed first in the 300 hurdles at the state meet in Pasco in a personal-record time of 37.99 seconds. He broke the county record and completed a swift rise to the top.
Not bad for a young man who didn’t begin consistently running hurdle events until a year ago.
Hopkins, who wore bright-yellow tube socks during his state-title victory, felt unstoppable at the end of last season.
“When you feel like you’re at your highest level and you win state, you go, ‘Wow! There’s no one out there that can beat me,’” he said.
Except Hopkins was wrong. He found out after meeting Stephone Jordan.
Jordan is a senior track star from Garfield High in Seattle. An excellent sprinter and hurdler, he won 4A titles last spring in the 110 (14.51 seconds) and 300 hurdles (38.28), as well as the 200 sprint.
Because their schools compete in different classifications, Jordan and Hopkins didn’t go head to head at state. But, searching for a worthy training partner, Jordan invited Hopkins to join his summer team.
Hopkins accepted. He soon marveled at Jordan’s ability.
“He doesn’t need much telling what to do. He’s one of those people who just gets it right mostly on the first time,” Hopkins said. “You kind of envy that because you’re like, ‘Why can’t I do that?’”
Jordan, who started hurdling in eighth grade, consistently beat Hopkins in training sessions and competitions.
But in July Hopkins had a breakthrough. Competing in the young men’s division at the USA Track &Field Junior Olympics in California, Hopkins surprised himself and his summer coach by placing sixth. Jordan, who hadn’t bean defeated by a Washington runner all year, finished seventh.
Training with the Garfield standout helped Hopkins achieve the unexpected result.
“I kept being able to push myself. It just helped me to humble myself more and become a better athlete,” said Hopkins.
What Hopkins lacks in experience, he makes up for with desire, said Jeanine Shepherd, who coached Hopkins and Jordan this past summer.
“His technical form isn’t quite there,” Shepherd said, “but he has a lot of heart. He’s just a gamer. He’s really tough.”
Hopkins, who hopes to run for an NCAA Division-I college program, said he soaked up numerous tips from Shepherd. The lessons should help him perform even better than last year, when — despite his impressive success — Hopkins lacked a clear strategy.
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” he said. “It was just like, ‘Run and beat the guy.’”
After placing seventh in the 110 hurdles at the 2007 3A state meet, Hopkins said he’ll aim for titles in both hurdles races this season.
Cockiness shouldn’t be an issue. Hopkins is humble and has an intense passion for the sport, Jordan said.
In fact, Hopkins doesn’t seem to have any weaknesses.
Said Hall, Everett’s coach, “He’s got the full package. He’s got the attitude, the effort and the ability.”
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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