Story is about an American and a Swedish foreign exchange student in high school high jump competition: http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps/92143739.html?page=2&c=y ------------ Holthaus also said there were a couple early struggles in working with Serenhov for the first time. In Sweden, jumpers use the metric system to gauge how high the bar is set. Holthaus had to explain to the Swede that jumps are measured in feet and inches in the U.S. It didn't take Serenhov long to adjust, and she now knows a jump of 5 feet, 6 inches -- which she has already cleared this year to equal Schonhardt's state-winning jump a year ago -- is pretty good. After converting units, Serenhov said she set her personal best of 5-7 -- a height already achieved by Schonhardt this season -- three years ago. ------------ So the Swede knows how to convert her scores, while the American naively believes high jumps are ALWAYS measured in feet and inches in the US. I guess college will be a surprise for her. Good job in preparing kids for the future, high school. If high school wants to persist in using feet for field events, they should AT LEAST prepare the kids that this all changes when they move on to college.
