Maria Ataya | The Chronicle
On April 2, 2026, Aldo Dokouzov beat the former MHS long jump record of 22 feet and four inches, with his leap of 22 feet and seven inches at the Edgewood Invitational in Trenton, Ohio. The previous record, held by Josh Dooley, was set at 22 feet and two inches. With this mark, Dokouzov became the first athlete to add his name to Mason High School’s long jump record book since 2011.
After looking down and seeing the distance, Dokouzov was overwhelmed with excitement and was quick to inform his coaches and friends. Beyond the excitement, this record was important because it showed his determination, as he had only started the long jump event this year, which many do not usually see behind the scenes.
“[This achievement] displays the hard work I have been putting in the past few months as a beginner at long jump,” Dokouzov said. “It took some time to be able to get my steps in and learn the form. To me, one of the most important parts of me getting this record is to help show how hard I’ve been working to accomplish this goal.”
That moment was just the beginning of Dokouzov’s long jump career. Before starting long jump, he participated in numerous other track events. Dokouzov spent days outside of practice training with his coach, getting his steps down and working to get better.
Not only excelling in long jump, Sophomore Aldo Dokouzov is a top high jumper for the Comets, placing 6th at the Centerville Relays on April 17, 2026.
“The first jump that I ever did, I jumped 18 feet six inches,” Dokouzov said. “In my second jump ever in a long jump meet, I jumped 21 two and a quarter, so I have been seeing a lot of improvement since the beginning.”
Coach Hakim Oliver, who has guided Dokouzov through his development, said Dokouzov came to him this year wanting to try long jump, and he naturally progressed from a beginner to a record breaker. Oliver said Dokouzov’s success is even more impressive considering how much room he still has to grow.
“We are still working on his technique, which is the scary part of how good he can be,” Oliver said. “When you think about the technique, we are not where we should be for someone who is breaking records like that. So he is doing that almost basically off of raw talent, which is pretty impressive.”
Although long jump is often seen as an individual sport, Dokouzov makes an effort to credit his success to the people around him, especially his coach and teammates, who have supported his growth along the way.
“Coach Oliver has been an extremely important part of my progress during my freshman and sophomore years in high and long jump,” Dokouzov said. “He has been with me for the highs and lows and he has made me not only a better jumper but a better person. If I had to name one coach that really helped me make progress this much in track and field and in life, it has to be Coach Oliver.”
Dokouzov may have the talent to continue improving and reach the top, but what truly stands out to both his coaches and those around him is his mindset. He maintains a positive attitude that drives him to keep pushing forward, even when meets do not go as planned.
“My goal for this season is to not focus on the negative aspects when I am jumping, and to only focus on the positive,” Dokouzov said. “ If I do badly at a previous meet, [I want] to forget about that and just to keep on moving forward.”
`That mentality is not just something that Dokouzov talks about; it is something he consistently demonstrates, according to Oliver. Both Dokouzov and Oliver try to put bad performances into perspective and look at them positively. For them, a bad day is still a good day, and even though he might have not jumped what he had planned for, he at least jumped as high as his older record.
Since the beginning, Dokouzov has shown confidence and determination, setting high goals and challenging himself to improve quickly, all while he was still trying to learn the event. That mindset has only grown stronger since his record-breaking performance.
“It is scary what he will be able to do in the next two years, and I am so excited to see what it will look like,” Oliver said. “If he continues to train, he could be the greatest track and field athlete Mason’s ever had.”
