Former Lustre Standout Jumps To All-American Honors

Former Lustre Christian High School track standout Jasiah Hambira said he was lifted by the support of others when he recently reached All-American collegiate honors in the high jump.

Heading into the NCAA Division II national meet held in Pueblo, Colo., the Minnesota State Moorhead sophomore was ranked 22nd, or last, in the pre-meet standings. That fact, however, didn’t limit his goals.

“I’m a very firm believer that I can pull off a PR (personal record) or a great jump at any given time,” Hambira, who is originally from Washington state, said. “I walk into every competition believing I can succeed to the best of my ability.”

He explained that he received many words of encouragement from his followers and he prayed a good amount prior to the meet. “I walked in very confident,” Hambira said.

He cleared a season best of 6-11.5 on his final attempt at the height to earn eighth place and All-American status. Soon after the accomplishment, Hambira noticed that he had about 10 missed calls on his phone from people in the Lustre community.

“Everybody in Lustre is still so important to me. I have so much love for that community,” Hambira said. “They invested in me when I was there, and they still invest in me.”

The spectacular ending finished a challenging track season for the 19-year-old athlete. After transferring from Minot State University, N.D., to Minnesota State Moorhead, Hambira was told by assistant coach Trevor Barry that it could be a difficult season because of needed changes to Hambira’s technique. Barry is a twotime Olympian high jumper and one of the reasons that Hambira transferred to compete for the Dragons.

“It began really slow,” Hambira said of his early-season struggles. “My biggest thing was Coach never lost faith in me.”

Hambira said that one of Barry’s sayings is “delayed doesn’t mean denied.”

When Hambira would become discouraged, he would remind himself of his improvements during the last two years. “I get my strength from God and also the support group around me,” he added.

This summer, he is working in Moorhead and also doing some training. He is majoring in digital media management/marketing and carries about a 3.0 grade point average.

Goals for next year include placing in the top three at the national meet since many other high jumpers have graduated. He hopes to become more consistent and keep improving. “Nationals is wide open,” Hambira said. “A new generation of high jumpers are coming up.”

He still loves to visit Montana and would like to deliver a message to Lustre students at some time in the future. “Lustre poured so much into me. I want to do my part to inspire. Just because you’re from a small school, doesn’t mean you can’t do anything that you want.”