Seventy-year-old Kermit Walker puts on his track shoes Monday morning at the new Southwestern Oregon Community College track for a workout. Walker recently won the triple jump for his age group at a major meet in Eugene and does not plan on slowing down anytime soon. World Photo by Lou Sennick.

During Kermit Walker's track and field prime, almost no one could beat the short, muscular jumper. It seems some 50 years later, the same is still true.

Walker, an assistant coach with Southwestern Oregon Community College's track and field team, won the 70-and-over age division of the triple jump at the Hayward Classic, held in Eugene on June 25. His mark of 31 feet, 53/4 inches confirmed his continued success at the master's level, a division of U.S.A. Track and Field for athletes 40 years and older. Next up is the State Games of Oregon, held Sunday at Mount Hood Community College.

“I'm having a lot of fun,” said Walker, his hearty laugh and smile always evident.

His master's career began in 1980 in Mexico City at the World Games, doing the thing he knows best: winning. Walker took home four gold medals, winning the long, triple and high jump and anchoring a sprint relay, as well.

After a break, Walker began his second round of masters track again at age 62, his competitive fire intact.

“He's been rated in the top three in his age group since I've known him,” said Dan Neal, head track and field and cross country coach at Southwestern.

Indeed, this year's title was nothing new to Walker. From 2000 to 2004 his triple jump marks were the best in the nation for his division. He won the long and triple jumps at the 2004 Hayward Classic, placed in the top three in both events in 2005, and holds the 65-69 Hayward Classic age-group record for the triple jump.

Hailing from Redwood City, Calif., Walker attended San Jose State University, competing for what was a premier track university at the time. Walker's personal bests of 26-5 in the long and 52-11 in the triple jump are still very impressive, despite the changes in the sport and its athletes over some five decades. During the late 1950s and early ‘60s, he competed with such long-jump luminaries as Ralph Boston and former world-record holder Bob Beamon, traveling to Russia, Sweden and Germany as a member of the U.S. national team.

Since his takeover of the Lakers' jumping events six years ago, his jumping corps has found its legs in the NWAACC.

“I've never had a jumper who didn't surpass what they did previously,” said Walker.

“Wherever I put him, he just does his job,” agreed Neal. “He really knows his stuff.”

This isn't his first shot at coaching, however. He has coached off and on for the past 50 years to anyone who wanted instruction, including an Olympic pentathlete. When he wasn't coaching, Walker worked in a housing management office for the State of California.

Then, in 1980, he decided a dramatic change was in order. He met up with longtime friend Jim Matejka in Coos Bay and began work as a commercial fisherman despite never having been on the water in his life. He still fishes to this day, along with refinishing old furniture in his spare time.

“Everything I do now is basically for my total enjoyment,” he said.

With a remarkable bounce in his step, the spry 70-year-old has even bigger plans than the State Games - he's eyeing a trip to either North Carolina or Guatemala for a world level meet later this summer.

Walker still trains every week, whether doing his speed work and jump drills on Bastendorff Beach's sand or at Southwestern's newly finished track. For years, Walker has trained on the dunes and beaches of the South Coast, realizing the sand's positive effects on his leg strength. He concentrates on wind sprints, bounding, and dune runs while there, and repeats much of the same the next week at the track, though with more emphasis on his approach.

By his own admission, it's a good chance he will be seen on his daily workouts for quite a while.

“Even if I live to be 100, I'll be competing,” he said.