Bloom's Cato is something special

Bloom's Japheth Cato.
(Michael R. Schmidt/Herald News)

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If this is the age of specialization for prep athletes, Japheth Cato is the exception who proves the rule.

"I do try to try different things," the Bloom senior said, ticking off his activity list: football, band, drama, track.

It's the latter sport especially that Cato has treated like a buffet, sampling a little bit of this and some of that.

A returning state qualifier in both the long jump and pole vault with personal bests of 23-7 and 15-7 respectively, he's also got sprinter's speed (49 seconds in the 400 meters, 23.2 in the 200). And this year, he's also tackling the 300 hurdles.

Is it any surprise that Cato – who recently signed with Wisconsin – plans to focus on the decathlon in college?

"It's a nice problem to have, to figure out where to put him," Bloom coach Andrew Schmitt said.

For all his talent, Cato has had a few problems of his own.

His potential has yet to be realized at the state meet, where he's failed to make it past the first day in each of his two trips to Charleston.

"My first year [Downstate] I was tremendously nervous," Cato said. "The second year coming back, I felt better but didn't do as well as I'd hoped."

It doesn't help that the long jump and pole vault are contested simultaneously, forcing Cato to dash from one event to the other.

It'd be easier just to run and do the long jump. But he has no intention of giving up the pole vault – an event he picked up only last year and now calls his favorite.

It hasn't always been a smooth ride. Once, Cato planted his pole in the wrong spot and came down so hard he feared he'd broken his wrist. Another time, he snapped a pole in two.

But now he's among the state's best in the event and teams with Matthew Page to give Bloom the state's top pole vault combo.

"His potential is unlimited," Bloom vault coach Tim Johnson said of Cato. "It may not happen this year; he just doesn't have the reps. But he will unload someday and it will be spectacular."

Schmitt will be happy if Cato makes it to the finals of all his events at state and delivers the points he's shown the potential for. If that happens, it could mean a return to the glory days of a program that hasn't brought home a state trophy since winning its sixth state title in 1988.

"We've always had quality teams for the past 10 years," Schmitt said. "But we certainly haven't fared that well at the end of the year. Hopefully this is the year we break out."