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Air Force Academy accepts high jumper

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[NPI Float=”left”]/Media/3/jpg/2010/4/bb3d91e0-d850-2e7b-073f0c523563f753.jpg[/NPI] Tyler Jordan can really soar. He holds the Ramona High School record for the high jump at 6 feet 7 inches.

Jordan plans to continue soaring higher—both literally and figuratively—in his future. He wants to be a pilot, and has accepted an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. He was also accepted to the United States Naval Academy.

Jordan’s high jumping is not the only highlight of his high school career. He has earned a 4.2 grade point average in college preparatory, honors and advanced placement courses at Mountain Valley Academy and Ramona High School. His 1780 SAT score is high, too.

“I chose the Air Force Academy because it poses challenges and it will give me an opportunity to fulfill my dream of being a pilot,” explained Tyler.

He plans on majoring in aeronautical/aerospace engineering or systems engineering. When asked if he plans to continue high jumping at the USAFA or if high jumping helped get him in, he replied, “Track helped get me in, but my grades and test scores were up to the academy’s standards.”

Every cadet at USAFA participates in interscholastic or intramural sports. The academies want cadets who are competitors in the classroom, on athletic fields and in life.

Academics and athletics are not the only areas where Jordan gets high rankings. He is finishing his requirements to be an Eagle Scout. All of the footprints left on the moon were left by Eagle Scouts.

Jordan said that his mom, Janey, and dad, John, have supported him in all of his endeavors and they support his decision to attend the USAFA. His dad did not serve in the military, but Jordan said that the most influential person in his life, other than his parents, his grandfather, Dale Timblin, served in the Navy. “My grandfather is a very patriotic individual and he set a positive example for me. His stories about the Navy inspired me.”

Jordan’s favorite subject is math. Besides participating in four years of track and field, he also played basketball for three years. The young man likes to jump.

Tyler will not get much of a senior summer. He will report to USAFA on June 24 for Basic Cadet Training, a rigorous five-week orientation program that introduces cadets to military life. Cadets are instructed by upper-class cadets in topics that include military customs, courtesies, heritage, marching, and strenuous physical conditioning and training.

Upon successful completion of basics, the cadets take part in an Acceptance Parade where they receive their fourth-class shoulder boards and begin the academic year.

Jordan will go from being an Eagle Scout to soaring as a Falcon at USAFA.

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