Standing above the crowd

Mike Sciacca

It’s difficult not to notice Mitchell Gillespie in a crowd.

In fact, he drew a large one around him at last week’s Ocean View

School District track and field competition at Huntington Beach High when

it was announced that the 14-year-old was attempting to set a new

district record in the high jump.

With all the other field events concluded that day, Gillespie was

alone in the spotlight.

He did not disappoint the crowd on hand, although he gave them some

tense moments.

“It was so exciting to see so many people around the high jump area,

but I had my shaky moments, though,” Gillespie said.

The Spring View Middle School athlete was attempting to clear

5-feet-10 in the high jump, a mark that would be a new district record.

The eighth-grader missed on his first two attempts, and his third and

final try looked precarious when he nicked the bar. Although it wobbled a

bit, the bar stayed put and Gillespie, who watched in anticipation, was

the owner of a new record.

His effort topped a district record that had stood for 17 years. In

1985, Mike Frohn of Park View Middle School had set the district standard

at 5-9 1/2.

“It was awesome. I was getting high fives from about 20 people that I

didn’t even know,” he said.

But just about everybody involved with Ocean View School District

sports knows about Gillespie.

He has played volleyball and basketball, run track and field and cross

country at Spring View, and even plays AYSO soccer and some club

volleyball.

He’s very talented in all of those sports, but there’s one main reason

you notice this bright, articulate young man: at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds,

Gillespie can’t be missed among his peers.

“He has always been tall for his age,” said his Spring View coach,

Jason Blade. “Mitchell’s extremely talented in sports but to be honest,

for as well as he’s done, I don’t think he’s even scratched his potential

yet.”

Coaches first began to take notice of Gillespie, a student with a 3.7

grade-point average, three years ago at the district track and field

meet.

As a sixth-grader, he set a new district record in the 400 meters with

a time of 1:04.0, and went on to compete in the county and Southern

California championships that same year. In the seventh grade, Gillespie,

despite fighting back and knee injuries throughout part of the season,

shaved seven seconds off his 400 meters time from the prior year to win

the district event in 57.0. He also won the high jump at 5-2.

In addition to setting the record in the high jump this year,

Gillespie joined Spring View teammates Brian Hoops, Garret Wellington and

Daniel McElroy in winning the sprint medley. He also won the 400 meters

and finished second in the 100 meters.

What is astonishing about the high jump record he set, and what

Gillespie says, “amazed myself,” is that he improved his jump by eight

inches from the previous year.

It hasn’t surprised others, though.

“I have watched him these past three years and have seen him grow into

a fine athlete,” said Kelly Painter, sports coordinator for the Ocean

View School District and a coach at Marine View Middle School.

Although Gillespie, who will enter Marina High in the fall, may stand

above the crowd on the field and the Spring View campus, he’s very much a

part of it.

“He’s just one of those kids that gets along with everybody on

campus,” Blade said. “He’s a well-mannered young man and very

down-to-earth.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at (714)

965-7171 or by e-mail at o7 michael.sciacca@latimes.com.

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