Then he did it again and again.

“I changed the record board after he broke the school record the first time and, since then, he has broken it two more times,” said Youngsville track coach John Victor.

Hogg, a senior, first surpassed former Olympian Mike Shine’s record.

“Freshman year, I wanted to beat Shine’s record (6 feet, 2.25 inches),” said Hogg.

He did.

It would be Hogg’s dream to attend Colorado State University and also make it to the Olympics.

High hopes for a high jumper, for sure, but he’s off to a great start, having cleared 6-10 earlier this season.

“In any competitive atmosphere, your goals should be to succeed and dominate,” he said.

He has taken his own advice.

Victor, who has been coaching Hogg since the seventh grade, said, “The first time Jake broke the school record was very exciting; from that point on I knew Jake had more in him and that he would most likely break the record again and again.”

Hogg uses videos of his favorite athlete, Derryk Drewin, for motivation and to help improve his technique.

Outside of track, Hogg says his biggest influences are his parents because they taught him how to live life, and they have been supportive in the process.

“He would flip backward off the sofa and continue to do so until he got to the other end, laughing all the way,” said his mom, Penny. “He would spend hours on that trampoline, and he wouldn’t stop until I took him out.”

Hogg’s family also includes his father, Stan, and his sister, Rebecca, who also was an excellent athlete. He has grown up on his family’s farm, which his mom said “had a lot to do with how he is now”.

“He worked hard helping momma put fence posts in, cleaning barns, bailing hay,” and “helping his dad to build a new barn, new additions on the house…”

Growing up on the farm also allowed Jake to have a homemade high jump pit in the barn.

Outside of high jump, Hogg also participates in triple jump, javelin and discus. So far, he has qualified for districts in both jumping events and is just off qualifying for his throwing events.

“When it comes to meets, we can always count on him to earn first-place points in all, if not most, of his events,” said Victor.

And Hogg is only two inches shy of the 7-1 state high jump record, currently held by Sheffield alumnus Matt Benson.

“He is close. As far as when, that’s up in the air,” said Victor.