As the son of a former indoor world record high jumper, Scott Radetich ’96 certainly had some high expectations to live up to. If his national championship and overall four all-America accolades haven’t done the trick, surely he will sew up some family boasting honors with his very deserving induction into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
Due to a longtime friendship with the elder Radetich, former head coach Garry Killgore undoubtedly had some sway in convincing Scott, who began his career at Linn-Benton Community College, to transfer to Linfield instead of his first choice of archrival Pacific Lutheran.
Radetich had an immediate impact for the Wildcats during his first season in 1994. He broke the school record by jumping 6-8½ in his first outdoor meet, overcame a mid-season ankle injury, placed fourth at the conference championships and qualified for both indoor and outdoor nationals. Garnering all-America honors at both championship events, with a sixth-place effort indoors and a third-place performance outdoors, he put Linfield on the map as a school known for more than just its pole vaulters.
As a junior, Radetich captured the first of two Northwest Conference championships in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 10 inches to defeat teammate Jason Clinch by two inches.
Expecting a tight race between Linfield and Pacific Lutheran for the team title, Coach Killgore also drafted Radetich for the 110-meter high hurdles. The secret weapon clocked in at an impressive 15.17 seconds, coming in second to the eventual national runner-up from PLU.
It may not have mattered in the team score – Linfield defeated the Lutes by a whopping 109 points, achieving the second-highest total in conference history – but the race was a prime example of Radetich’s athleticism and competitiveness. The hurdle performance still ranks No. 9 in Linfield’s all-time record book.
In 1996, Radetich capped off his Linfield career with two crowning achievements: a national indoor title and his all-time-best clearance. Competing at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Radetich cleared the bar at 6 feet, 11 inches and won a three-way tie by virtue of fewest misses to become Linfield’s first national champion in the high jump and help the Wildcats tie for sixth in the team standings.
At the Willamette Open in April, Radetich broke a 25-year meet record and set the still-standing Linfield and Northwest Conference all-time mark in the high jump with a clearance of 7 feet, 2 inches. He remains one of just three high jumpers among the eight active NWC programs to have cleared seven feet.
Radetich also successfully defended his conference title in the high jump, helping the Wildcats achieve the second of back-to-back league titles.
About the only letdown was at the NAIA Outdoor Championships, where Radetich placed 12th. Dealing with a fast approach track, the senior struggled to correctly time his jumps, finishing with a maximum leap of 6-8.
Radetich’s legacy includes more than his national championship, four all-America achievements and two conference titles. He helped the Wildcats achieve six Top-20 team finishes at the NAIA Championships, including a program-best fifth place at the 1995 outdoor and 1996 indoor events.
His success also helped usher in a new wave of successful Wildcat high jumpers, including fellow all-Americans Jason Clinch and Travis Olson.
Since graduating from Linfield in 1996, Radetich has applied his business degree toward a career in financial services. He currently works as an associate for Truman Capital, a New York-based investment firm. Radetich has been married to his college sweetheart, Angie Schmisseur, and the two reside in Portland.
