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Fairfield’s Zillman, Giberson each finish second in state high jump
Trojan duo earn podium finish at state
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
DES MOINES — Having someone there to push you in anything you do can sure make a difference in success.
Fairfield high jump duo junior Eli Zillman and senior Ryan Giberson have just that.
“It’s friendly competition,” Giberson said. “ When we’re out here, we’re competing, but we still support each other. That competition pushes us to be our best. We want to one up one another and I think without that rivalry we wouldn’t be here.”
Not only are the two friends, but also two of the best high jumpers in Class 3A, each finishing second at the Iowa Girls and Boys State Track and Field Championships at Drake University in Des Moines on Thursday morning.
The two entered as the number two and three seeds with defending state champion Zillman clearing 6’7 and Giberson 6’5 this season.
As the two jumped together for the final time, both propelled one another into state title contention.
Each cleared their first three jumps ending with a clean go at 6’3. However, both jumpers were stumped at the next height, failing to clear 6’5 with three attempts.
“I have a lot of work to put in,” Zillman said. “I came into this meet with a high head. I was on a high horse and quickly fell off of it.”
Top seeded Benton Community’s Eli Patterson went on to clear 6’7 to take the 2025 jumps crown.
For Giberson, it marks the end of his high school jumping career.
“Obviously the goal was number one, so there was a little bit of a disappointment there, but at the end of the day the podiums a big accomplishment,” Giberson said. “Us being here as many times as we have been, I’m pretty proud of my career.”
“It hurts a little more that Ryan’s not going to be here next year,” Zillman said. “I mean the loss hurt, but it’s more of the fact that I’m not going to have my teammate next year. He pushed us along. We pushed each other. Without Ryan, I wouldn’t be as good as I am today.”
Zillman will get one more chance to stand atop the podium in 2026. He also competed in the long jump, finishing seventh.
In the other high jump classes, Hillcrest Academy’s Kale Bailey, WACO’s Louden Huisenga and Keota’s Ayden Galindo competed in 1A.
Bailey took fourth in the class with a jump of 6’1. Huisenga followed in sixth with a jump of 6’1 as well. Galindo ended up in 11th after clearing 5’11.
