Amber Walker makes high jump history for Tigard: ‘It was my third attempt, and I just went for it’

By René Ferrán 

EUGENE — Coming into Saturday’s Class 6A girls high jump competition, Tigard junior Amber Walker had beaten state leader Kyra Bakke of Tualatin only once. 

That came at last year’s OSAA state championships at Hayward Field, when Walker finished third and Bakke fourth on a tiebreaker.

History repeated itself this weekend. Bakke, a junior who cleared 5 feet, 8½ inches, this spring, struggled to clear heights, and Walker remained clean over every bar.

Finally, at 5-6, there were three jumpers left — Walker, Bakke and Walker’s teammate, Alexa Anderson, who won the pole vault title Friday afternoon.

Again, Walker made the height on her first try. This time, neither Anderson or Bakke could match her, making Walker the first Tigard high jumper to win a state championship since Nancy Rissmiller in 1994.

“I wasn’t sure I could beat (Kyra),” Walker said. “But I was definitely hopeful. And I love competing against everybody here, and I love how nice everybody is to each other. I just love the dynamic that we have.”

Rissmiller cleared 5-7 that year to win the title. Walker did her one better, making 5-7¼ on her third try after the gold medal was hers.

“Alexa just hyped me up, and she was like, ‘Just go for it. Give it your all,’” Walker said. “It was my third attempt, and I just went for it. So, that was all her. We’ve always been so supportive of each other, and we love each other so much. We’re like the best friends, and it wouldn’t be nearly as fun without her.”