Cole Zielinski is already making history — and he's not done yet.
The Waukesha West High School junior broke the Wisconsin state long jump record at the state track and field championships in La Crosse, leaping 25 feet, 9¾ inches and shattering a mark that had stood since 1965.
Even in the air, Zielinski knew something special was happening.
"I knew it was special when I was up there. I remember thinking, I haven't hit the ground yet. I got hold this one, so I held as long as I could when I landed. I knew it was big," Zielinski said.
When officials pulled out the tape measure, the moment became even more surreal.
"I mean, I see I'm pulling back towards the board, and I didn't even know exactly what it was, but I saw that 25, and it hadn't finished quite yet, so I got excited, I started running around, and then I go back to look at it. I see that it's past the state record, and I just knew that I got it, and it was really exciting," Zielinski said.
With school out and track season over, Zielinski was back at work Friday, putting in a two-hour training session with performance coach Matt Gifford.
Gifford said Zielinski's physical profile sets him apart.
"If you look at the world record holders in the last 30, 40, 50 years, the best jumpers in the world they're all gonna fit kind of a model and mold, they're all probably taller than 6-1, 6-2, he's 6'5. You see great length from a tib fin and lower-leg standpoint. He's very elastic and forceful," Gifford said.
Watch: Waukesha West junior breaks Wisconsin long jump state record that stood since 1965
For Gifford, the drive behind the athlete is just as important as the physical gifts.
"It all comes down to curiosity — how good can I be? Where can I take this gift and the skill?" Gifford said.
Zielinski's sights are already set well beyond Wisconsin. With his freshman year of college arriving in 2028 — the same year the Olympics come to Los Angeles — he has a clear target in mind.
"Looking forward to college because my freshman year in college is 2028, and that's when the Olympics are being held in LA, so in order to get to the trials I'm gonna need to jump 26 feet, and then in order to compete, 27 is gonna have to be with me," Zielinski said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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