Evergreen high school's Vicente Cordova is moving fast and running is only the half of it.

The other half is jumping and that's because Cordova does not do the sprinting or distance events but instead has concentrated his efforts fully on the field events -- high jump, long jump, and triple jump, and he's dabbling in breaking some school records in the javelin, too.

He's only a sophomore now. He didn't even go to state last year, but, yes, he will break some records in the next few years, probably long held ones in the Seamount League and maybe records higher than that.

And there are others that speak of Cordova's great potential as well.

His coach, Tyrone Curry, mentioned a lot of things, including a lot of good newcomers, but he only mentioned one name in the opening words he said.

"Going good," said Curry. "We got a big squad. Vicente is sitting out this week, he has a little hip pointer."

That tells everyone that the main guy is that one guy, even though others will certainly also shine on the Wolverines as this season progresses.

But Cordova is the progression by which all others on the team will be measured by. He may have missed the long jump and triple jump in a recent dual meet because of an injury and was sitting out. But Curry still said Cordova did compete in the high jump in a recent dual meet versus Hazen. It's hard to keep a good competitor from getting off the ground . And, Cordova cleared 6-0 in the high jump and won that dual.

Cordova was close last year in the long jump. Close, that is, to making it to state.

"He missed making state in the long jump by just two inches," said Curry.

Clearly, Cordova said he is confident that won't happen again.

"I know I will get to state in the long jump and triple jump. I am really confident in myself that I can do it," he said.

Sure, it's important to believe in what you can do, but how important is it in Cordova's eyes is what we all want to know.

"To believe in yourself and what you do," said Cordova. "If you are lifting weights, it kind of ties into that. If you say you can't do it, then you're lost before you've even attempted to do it."

Like getting ready to do a bench press of a new maximum weight is kind of what Cordova was getting at there and last year that kind of illustration perfectly ties in to why Cordova went 20-6 for a personal best long jump last year and then...

"I wasn't in the 20's at districts," said Cordova.

And why was that? Was he nervous? Yes, and for good reason.

"I was a freshman and it was like I was jumping with all these seniors," said Cordova.

And, this year it won't get to you?

"Oh, no. I am just going to go out and do it this year," said Cordova.

In his win in the high jump, he just about cleared 6-2,which would have been a new personal best for him. Actually, he did clear it.

'I cleared my pr and then went to get off the mat and the bar fell, so I guess it didn't count," said Cordova.

It doesn't matter. He will have a lot more chances to break that record. Remember he is only a sophomore.

"It was easy to clear it, though. I am dealing with a little bit of a hip injury, but I just jumped for the first time, I haven't been practicing it," said Cordova.

Cordova hadn't been practicing it, but just goes out there and jumps higher than all the other high jumpers at the dual meet. He beat the next closest jumper by four inches.

His coaches help him, too.

"Coach Curry is a fun guy," said Cordova.

He is given new things that he has to work on and listens well.

"I'm told to get both my hands up high so I can get my hips higher, so I can clear the bar," said Cordova.

Cordova is following a strict program and not only talks a good talk but has been walking the walk, too.

"I have been working in the weight room all off season," said Cordova.

A vertical jump is more of a good thing for football. A good 'v' will get you in the pros. Former Seattle Seahawk Joey Galloway had a 42 inch vertical, and Cordova is not too far behind if that can be a fair comparison.

"I had a 28 inch jump as a freshman and now I am 32 inches," said Cordova of vertical jumping which simply means, "stand still and jump straight up and measure the ground to the bottom of your shoes."

But, for events like the triple jump and high jump and long jump a good vertical certainly is a good thing and leads to another good 'v' word- victory.

Cordova does what it takes. He just doesn't take for granted that he already has what it takes physically.

"I've been running the Alabama sprint program, it consists of long and short distances, with a lot of reps, he said.

He's confident, a good student of the sport, and he's sure of what he can do this coming sprint season based on the heartbreak of just missing state last season. And others on the team clamor around him or just have no problems at all talking about him, like Naomi Afereti, who won the shot put event in the most recent dual meet.

"He is really good," said Afereti. "By his senior year, he will be breaking records."

What wasn't clear is what Afereti meant by '"breaking records." Was it just school records she was speaking about or state records?

One can only guess at this point just how great Cordova will become but on that breaking records kind of talk the best word that comes to mind is 'both.'

Vincente Cordova (right) receives advice from teammates and coaches.