GVSU – Whitehall track standout Ayden Mendoza broke the school record for the high jump at six feet 10 inches. “His attention to detail and willingness to learn and change has made him great. He has a confidence in himself that pushes him to achieve without fear.” Coach Kirk Mikkelson told CatchMark SportsNet after Mendoza’s magical achievement.
The Whitehall track season began Wednesday night at Grand Valley State University, where they competed in the indoor facility GVSU offers.
Mendoza closed out his sophomore season last year with a 6’3″ jump at the state meet. After breaking the school record in the first meet of the season, Mendoza is bound to potentially break his record with nearly two seasons left in high school.
“I was jumping my freshman year, and I jumped 6’4″, and I told myself I was going to get the school record before I graduated. It means a lot to me because I’ve been working my tail off to get it, and I did it, and it just almost doesn’t feel real to me. It’s an amazing feeling to finally be up on the board in the gym,” said Mendoza.
The record was previously set in 1979 by Mark VanBlargan and was then tied by Camden Thompson two years ago. Mendoza is currently ranked #1 in Michigan and 5th in the nation to start the season. “Breaking that record means a lot. We have had a lot of great athletes’ high jump at Whitehall, including Cam Thompson….who isn’t done yet himself. I am looking forward to Cam and Ayden pushing each other to higher bars,” said Mikkelson
Mikkelson has been leading the Vikings for the past 30+ seasons and has won many regional titles, as well as getting his team to the state meet year after year, it seems. Mikkelson isn’t just a winner, however; he’s a coach who values relationships with his players, and Mendoza explains it after his record feat.
“My freshman year, I didn’t care much about school at first. I just gave up after football season, and that had a huge impact on my basketball and my track season. Just when I was about to give up on playing sports, Mr. Mikk (Coach Mikkelson) came to my house and helped me get back on my feet and get my grades straightened out. He’s just always been there for me, and I don’t know what I would have done without him,” Mendoza said.
With many events taking place during the meet, coach Mikkelson is always a busy guy. “I was buzzing around checking on the other events/athletes when he cleared 6-8. When I heard the eruption of cheers, I headed back to the high jump area and found out he had broken the school record. But he wasn’t done. He then cleared 6-9 and 6-10, which is a huge jump in that event,” Mikkelson said.
Mendoza was able to share this incredible moment with two of his biggest influences, his mother and his grandmother. “A huge motivation for me is my grandma. She and I have had a really good connection ever since I could remember. She got cancer a couple of months ago, and she beat it. I’m so glad and proud of her; she is such a strong woman, and when I jumped at GVSU, I went up to my mom, and I told her, ‘This is for Grandma Peggy.'”
Video of Mendoza’s jump on Wednesday, March 19th, 2025. Sent by Ayden Mendoza.
Myles Welch joined CatchMark in February 2024 as a CatchMark SportsNet Intern. He would like to become a sports broadcaster or analyst. He currently attends Whitehall High School and will graduate in 2025.
