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Methuen's Oskar, Adams hoping to make the leap to elite status

Tuesday, June, 03 By Alan Siegel
Staff writer

Two weeks after his indoor track season ended, Josh Adams dinged up his knee while snowboarding.

Although not serious, the injury taught him a lesson.

"You have to be super careful," he said. "Any little thing could mess you up for a long time."

This spring, he stopped skateboarding. His long jumping career was too important to put in jeopardy.

"I have a chance at being great at this," he said. "I have to watch myself."

Adams, like fellow Ranger Katie Oskar, is one of the region's most promising athletes. Both will compete in Saturday's All-State meet at Fall River's Durfee High.

Adams and Oskar have admired each other's work all season.

"She excels at everything she does," he said. "She's a monster."

Oskar, a sophomore, is the area's best female triple jumper. She blew away the field at the Merrimack Valley Conference meet with a leap of 36-7<1/2> | fourth all-time in the region | and finished fourth (35-9) at the Eastern Mass. Division 1 meet.

Adams, a junior, is the area's second best male long jumper. He won at MVCs with a leap of 22-7 | ninth all-time in the region | and added a win (22-0<3/4>) at the EMass. Division 1 meet. Last year he popped a 19-10<1/2>.

Oskar's experience as a standout diver and gymnast has been a boon. The vault and the triple jump are similar, she said.

"It's sprint and punch," said Oskar, who has hiked her personal best more than three feet from last year. "It's pretty much what I do."

Adams' willingness to tweak his style has worked wonders. Before the league meet, he realized he needed more speed on his approach. After conferring with Methuen boys assistant coach Nick Collopy, Adams decided to move his starting point back a few steps.

"I encourage suggestions from the athletes," Collopy said. "They know themselves the best."

Adams, Collopy said, has put in extra work from Day 1.

"He's steadily improved," Collopy said. "It's the little things that make jumps such big accomplishments. It's great working with somebody that listens."

Giving up skateboarding hasn't been easy.

"I obeyed," he said with a smile. "It's hard. It's the common ground I share with some of my friends."

Like Adams, Oskar has impressed everybody who's seen her jump.

Methuen girls assistant coach Bill Blood said her pure strength is what helps set her apart. Unlike most triple jumpers, she's able to get better as meets progress.

"The amazing thing about Katie," Blood said, "is that she won the MVC meet on her sixth jump." Her best jump at (EMass Division 1), which bumped her up from seventh to fourth, also came on her sixth attempt.

"She attacks the board," Blood said.

Success in the triple jump, he said, "is about work. It takes a tremendous amount of strength. You need strength in both legs. Not everybody can do it."

Oskar and Adams are both out of the ordinary. These days, Both are focused on one goal: Beating their personal bests.

"If I out-jump that," she said, "I'll be happy."

At this point, it'd be hard to bet against them.