Geneseo, St. John Fisher alumnus ready to leap to Olympic heights

Thad Brown and AJ Feldman

1 hour ago

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Next week in Oregon, Geneseo High School alumnus Kyle Rollins will compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials for a spot on Team USA.

The Groveland native made a name for himself in April 2023 when he won the high jump event at the Drake Relays, clearing 7’4’5″. He qualified for the Trials with the same mark in February this year.

Qualifying for the Olympic Trials is one thing, but as he will tell you, staying in shape at the Olympic level is another.

“There were many days where I had to wake up at 4:00 or 5:00 before sunrise just to train, just to come back and train here (at St. John Fisher University),” Rollins said. “It definitely leads to very long days. But all of this is to hopefully make this dream a reality.

Even competing at a D-III school in St. John Fisher, Rollins and his show jumping coach Wenley Louis always believed he had what it took to become an Olympian.

“Big, springy, really, really explosive, and then probably the most important thing is a high degree of proprioception. Just an understanding and awareness of where his body is in relation to the space that allows him to clear the bar,” Louis said.

Right at the end of his college career, Rollins had the chance to compete in a national competition with all the big stars and all the big schools. He was the only one to wear a St. John Fisher University uniform. But he always represented the small school, the small town. It is partly thanks to this that he won this Olympic chance.

“I show up to a meeting and I’m like, ‘Who the hell is this guy, what school is St. John Fisher?’ What is that?'” Rollins said. “I like wearing that uniform for that reason. It kind of adds to my story. I think it fuels my fire.

In high school, he won a state title in the pentathlon. In college, he focused on the high jump and won four NCAA titles, becoming a 12-time All-American. He graduated in 2022 and currently coaches jumpers at SUNY Geneseo.

Training to become an Olympic hopeful isn’t cheap as an unsponsored athlete. A GoFundMe helped raise money to support his dreams. Not every athlete can go that far.

“There are a lot of really good athletes who come out of college and aren’t able to continue after they graduate, even though they might have a lot of potential in the events they compete in,” Rollins said.

Rollins is ranked number six in the country, but only three of them get a ticket to the Paris Olympics.

“It’s just about putting everything together that day,” Rollins said.

“Continue to not let the moment get too big, don’t overthink things and really focus on execution,” Louis said.

And even if he doesn’t realize his Olympic dream later this month, Rollins is confident he can continue his efforts at the world level for another four years to give it another chance.

The high jump qualification events will take place on Thursday June 27 and the best jumpers will qualify for the final on Sunday June 30.