Prep flashback: Peller Phillips still has a jump on record books

Athlete: Peller Phillips, Garfield, Class of 1988

Sport: Track and field

High-school rewind: Amassed 10 state titles (five individual, five relay) and was on three Class 4A state-championship teams. His 1988 long jump of 25 feet, 9 ¾ inches remains the state record.

After high school: Three-year letterman at Texas (1989-92), where he has UT's fifth-best long-jump mark. Degree in speech communications.

After athletics: Phillips taught business education at Garfield for four years before becoming the business department head at Rainier Beach this past school year. Coached Garfield track and field for three years and is still boys golf coach.

Personal: Phillips, 34, lives in Seattle. He has two children: daughter Markele, 12, and son Schyler, 9.

Fast forward: Phillips' older sister Kim and older brother Mark also competed in track and field at Garfield. From 1981 to 1988, they combined for 27 state titles (eight individual, 19 relay), eight team titles (plus two championships in basketball) and have five current state records to their credit. Peller and Mark ran on the same state-winning 400 relay team in 1986.

"We just grew up during a time when track was popular and the competition level was really fierce locally," Phillips said. "We're a competitive family. My brother and I always try to outdo one another."

Is Phillips happy to still have the state record after 17 years?

"I'm happy but I'm sad, because I'd like to see the level of competition get better in the state of Washington," he said.

"It's always good to see a record being challenged, but it's also good to have a record."

Michael Chin