Senior Petar Jelusic joined track and field this year, inspired by his friends and hoping to have fun.
Jelusic — who competes mainly in the 100 meter dash and long jump events — believes track is a good way to move and get in shape, and admits a big motivation is seeing the results of his hard work in the mornings through physical improvement.
Before starting track and field, Jelusic often had limited time to hang out with his friends, but participating in the sport has given him another avenue into spending time with them every day after school.
“I don’t usually have a lot of time, and this makes time,” he said.
He is thankful that he has this opportunity to bond with his current friends and make new ones.
Jelusic’s biggest goal is to reach 17 feet in long jump and get below 14 seconds in the 100 meter race. La Salle’s Director of Campus Ministry, Mr. Carter Powers, has been his biggest motivation to succeed in reaching his goals.
“He tells me I can do it,” he said.
Jelusic believes that Mr. Powers is good at teaching him proper technique for his events and has seen his fellow athletes’ achievements under Mr. Powers, such as junior Godwin Toku, who Jelusic is impressed by due to his technique and personal record.
Aside from Mr. Powers, Jelusic believes his mom to be his biggest support in track and field. “She used to do [track], so she’s kind of hyped about me doing it,” he said.
The most challenging part of track and field for Jelusic is perfecting the technique necessary to succeed in his events.
“It can be tough at times, especially [starting] blocks,” he said, referring to the metal platforms that brace short distance athlete’s feet, allowing them to start their race with maximized acceleration.
Jelusic is looking forward to the track and field Senior Night because he and the other seniors will be given the chance to try new events. Short distance runners and throwers will have the opportunity to try long distance events and vice versa.
“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said. “ I’ll do a bunch of events that I don’t usually do, along with a bunch of my buddies.”
Jelusic attended Christ the King Catholic School previously and chose La Salle because of how close it is to his house. “I usually walk to school, so it’s nice,” he said.
Outside of track and field, Jelusic spends his time in the maker space doing digital design and modeling. “I make models of planes and vehicles,” he said.
Director of STEAM Ms. Carie Coleman is Jelusic’s favorite teacher. “She’s happy, upbeat,” he said. “She brings your day from the dumps into the sky.”
Due to his love for math and science, and his time spent in the Innovation and Design Center, he hopes to study civil engineering at Oregon State University.
His favorite class over his four years at La Salle has been his freshman year religion class, taught by Mr. Tom MacLoughlin, a former religious studies teacher.
While he has enjoyed his time at La Salle, Jelusic acknowledges that school has become increasingly difficult over the years. “It began easy, and then it got tough,” he said.
Jelusic’s advice for freshmen is to be more positive.
“Focus on the small things that make you happy, and don’t focus on the small things that make you mad,” he said.
