Robson does it all for Sailors

High school track and field may be a little limiting for Newport Harbor junior Jessica Robson.

Her name appears all over the Sailors’ stat sheets because she competes in up to four events. If the rules allowed her to compete in more, she probably would.

“The hard part is, in high school, you can only compete in four events. If not, she’d compete in six or seven,” Newport Harbor Coach Eric Tweit said.

Robson’s favorite event is the high jump, but she’s also proficient in the long jump, triple jump and 100-meter hurdles. If Tweit had his way, he’d put her in the shot put, the 300 hurdles and on one of the relay teams.

If Robson continues her track and field career in college, she would be an ideal candidate for the heptathlon, where athletes compete in seven events in two days. The first day consists of the 100 hurdles, the high jump, the shot put and the 200 run. The second day includes the long jump, the javelin and the 800 run.

“I think the heptathlon is definitely a possibility for her in college,” Tweit said.

As athletic as the 6-foot-2 Robson already is, Tweit said she is capable of even more.

“She’s tall and just now growing into her body,” Tweit said. “I think her best years will be in college.”

Although her best athletic years are most likely ahead of her, Robson is already one of the best track and field athletes in the county.

In the Orange County Track and Field Championships at Trabuco Hills High on April 22, Robson took third in the high jump at 5 feet, 2 inches, fifth in the long jump at 16-8 and sixth in the 100 hurdles with a time of 16.07 seconds. Two days earlier, Robson won the 100 hurdles and the high jump in Newport Harbor’s 88-43 win over Foothill. Robson matched her personal best height in the high jump at 5-4.

“She loves the high jump,” Tweit said. “Her goal is to clear 5-6 in the high jump. She’s been at 5-4. She’s getting more and more consistent.”

“The long jump is probably my best event,” Robson said. “I have a good body type for it. I have long legs and I work hard. I’m hoping to make it to the state meet in the high jump.”

Other season highlights for Robson so far include the Surf City Invitational in Huntington Beach, where she took third in the 100 hurdles with a personal-best mark of 15.87, along with the Eagle Invite at Santa Margarita High. In both events, she matched her personal-best mark in the high jump at 5-4.

Robson ? who was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and moved here with her family when she was 6 years old ? is also a model student. She has a 4.0 grade-point average and had a perfect score in the math section of the SATs. But Tweit said that’s not even the best thing about her.

“Her best attribute is she has a great, positive attitude and she works hard,” he said. “I’m glad she’s only a junior. I get her for one more year.”

Tweit said he expects Robson to do no less than qualify for the CIF Southern Section preliminaries in all four of her events. After all, she’s always improving.

“She’s been in the track and field program right from the start and she continues to get better and better,” Tweit said. “She’s a great young lady, very outgoing and a great team member.”

The Jessica Robson File

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 145

Sport: Track and Field

Position: Jumping events

Coach: Eric Tweit

Favorite food: Swedish pancakes

Favorite movie: “Back to the Future”

Favorite athletic moment: “Getting into the Arcadia night meet, the invitational part, in the high jump this year.”

Week in review: In the Orange County Track and Field Championships at Trabuco Hills High on April 22, Robson took third in the high jump, fifth in the long jump and sixth in the 100 hurdles. In addition, Robson won the 100 hurdles and the high jump in Newport Harbor’s 88-43 win over Foothill on April 20. Robson matched her personal record in the high jump at 5-4.dpt-athlete29.IMG0GraphicInfoU21QF1TA20060429U21QF1TANo Captiondpt.29-aow-robson-CPhotoInfoL41QF5M520060429iyglvuncDON LEACH / DAILY PILOT(LA)