Some are born great, and others achieve greatness, but few are born with greater expectations than I-Perfection Harris, one of America's brightest young athletes. Before I launch into a seemingly endless list of accolades to praise one of the futures of United States track, I feel I must digress to talk about his name. Born Immaculate Perfection Harris in Staten Island, New York, Harris was raised by a father dedicated to the success of his children and the opportunity to live vicariously through them. During his formative years, Immaculate Perfection watched as his older brother, Supreme Justice Harris, excelled in the New York City basketball system under the guise of I-Superior. The younger Harris would soon shorten his name to I-Perfection, and, after relatively unsuccessful attempts in football and basketball, focus on track and field, beginning an incredible string of successes that would etch his name in the history of high school track and field.
I first came across I-Perfection at a track meet two and a half years ago. Prepared to win my 600-meter race, I was unpleasantly surprised to find myself thoroughly dominated throughout the race by the freshman neophyte, who to this day remains undefeated in the NYSAIS league in which he competes. A year later, amid scoffs that no one could really be named "I-Perfection," Harris shocked New York City when he set the sophomore state long jumping record at the Mayor's Meet, a record he would break again during his triumph at the New York State Championships that winter. Harris, who also anchored his 4x200 meter relay team to victory at States, guided his high school, Poly Prep, to its first league championship, and was the outstanding sophomore competitor at Foot Locker Nationals where he finished fifth in the high jump, ascended to a celebrity-like status in his home town of Staten Island, and began a long jumping reign of terror in the tri-state area.
From this point on, things only improved for I-Perfection, who, as a junior, was named Pre-Season All American Track and Field and was named outstanding athlete at nearly every meet he attended. After an appearance in Sports Illustrated, Harris defied the jinx by landing a silver medal in the triple jump, long jump and 4x200 relay at Indoor Nationals. Only a week ago, Harris jumped an astonishing 24+ feet in the long jump at the Penn Relays, a distance that would put college jumpers to shame, especially Dartmouth's.
You might ponder the significance of I-Perfection, who in all fairness, is not the only outstanding young track and field athlete in America today. Always with an eye on human potential, I believe that young Harris could do for American track and field what Muhammad Ali did for boxing, Magic Johnson did for basketball and Hulk Hogan did for professional wrestling, and that is to take a sport of sizeable popularity and fully incorporate it into American mainstream culture. The reason for the impact of the aforementioned men is that they brought to sports of athletic prowess character and emotion that allowed for spectators to experience the extreme passions of loving idolatry and hostile fury.
Not since the death of the rebellious distance runner Steve Prefontaine has the United States found an athlete who they could portray as an endearing character rather than a human machine. Where better to start than I-Perfection? His name commands attention; it may be the reason you are reading this article. Known for his humility in public and his arrogance in private, U.S track could market him as an American hero, or use him as a foil for another American long jumper that they wished to promote. The fledgling Golden Spikes League that U.S track is desperately attempting to develop would be enhanced by the addition of such an automatic household name. Soon, "I-Perfection" spikes and jerseys would be sold nation-wide, adorned by little kids long-jumping in the streets trying to emulate their hero. The league would be a success, and we would not have to depend on Cold War-esque tensions with China for the resurgence of American track and field (see "The Hardcore Truth," April 18).
If you consider it preemptive to pin the future of American track and field on a 17-year-old long jumper, consider that when he begins looking at colleges next year (and he will get in anywhere he wants), it would not be out of the question for Dartmouth to court this young superstar. His mother is a staunch believer in academics, and he certainly turned down superior athletic programs to attend Poly Prep, where he excels academically. Although the Dartmouth track was covered in snow for about half this spring, a concerted effort to recruit I-Perfection could result in success. In fact, when I think about which SA candidate I'm voting for tomorrow, it may very well come down to who is going to take measures to land I-Perfection at Dartmouth. Until that happens, I-Perfection, who goes by "I" with his friends, is going to continue tearing up high school track and field and wait to get his own line of Nike sneakers. And if you feel that I'm making any of this up, talk to Supreme Justice Harris, he'll set you straight- and that's the hardcore truth.
