(Photo by Jeff Turner ~ used with permission)

Mureika clears the bar with ease at the Tara Davis Invitational.

Track and field is most commonly perceived as a sport of maximum efficiency, with athletes seeking to shed inches off a mile and cut seconds from a race time. Sophomore Gwynneth Mureika, however, is rapidly raising the height. 

At the Tara Davis Invitational track meet on Feb. 28, 2026, Mureika seized first place in the girls varsity high jump, setting the meet record with a height of 5 feet, 4 inches. Having tied the meet record in 2025, this accomplishment was highly anticipated.  

“[Tara Davis] was my first official meet of the season, but I had gone to a few preseason meets,” Mureika said. “It was kind of exciting because the year before that I had tied the meet record.”

Mureika’s achievement was well-earned: she’s been working hard for months to reach this point. 

“I’ve been training since the off season,” Mureika said. “High jump’s very mental–I feel like you really have to get in the right mindset before each meet or practice. I’ve had a new coach and he’s really helped, just working on form and just trying to be the best I can every day.”

Mureika didn’t know how skilled she was at high jump, initially competing primarily in events like the 100 and 200 meter–once she tried the event, though, there was no going back.  

“I actually started about three years ago because I used to do club track, and I decided to try [high jump] one practice because a bunch of people were doing it, and I found it really fun, and it was kind of like a break from like all my other events that I had been doing. And yeah, ever since then, I just kept going.”

Being first on the OPHS team for high jump comes with heavy expectations, but Mureika doesn’t let the pressure get to her: she approaches competition with a calm, focused mindset. 

“I come into every meet just kind of thinking, you know, whatever happens, happens, and I don’t really set a specific goal for myself.”

This mentality, coupled with a supportive climate, was what enabled Mureika to take the pivotal leap at Tara Davis. 

“I was really excited because of the whole atmosphere and a lot of my friends were cheering me on and I got to see a bunch of my friends from last season at that meet. So I was just in the right mindset, and I was like I think I can do this. I believed in myself.”

Looking forward, Mureika has a goal to keep competing in high jump, long-term. 

“I really hope [to continue high jump] if I can make it. I want to do it in college, definitely.”