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If the desks, bookshelves and the table where Jon Hill was seated inside of Walkersville High's media center were piled on top of each other, the senior track and field star could clear them all.

Considered among the nation's premier scholastic high jumpers, Hill signed a national letter of intent Friday to attend the University of Texas on a full athletic scholarship.

"I went on a visit and everything about it was just amazing," he said. "It just seemed like a good fit when I went there."

Hill's decision wasn't a leap of faith. Along with his family, he considered numerous schools, making official visits to Maryland, Penn State, Auburn and Texas. It came down to the Nittany Lions and the Longhorns, and in the end, the Longhorns won out.

The city of Austin was Hill's last port of call. Last Sunday he ventured to the Lone Star state for one final stop. Strolling around the campus Sunday, he partook in an official visit and meet with Longhorns' head coach Bubba Thornton the following day. Returning to the hotel, he informed everyone Texas is where he would land.

"I thought this was the school he deserves," Hill's mother Rachel Hill said.

Texas was a recent entry into the Hill sweepstakes. Thornton initiated contact around the start of the current indoor campaign. Hill's coaches were elated, telling their prodigy that Texas was one of the premier track and field programs in the county.

During his most recent win, the Class 2A West Region, Hill cleared 7-foot-1, a remarkable jump for a high school competitor. His personal, 7-2, was achieved at Hagerstown Community College in the opening indoor event of the season. He plans on attempting 7-4 on Monday at the state indoor championships.

Track was an afterthought well into Hill's tenure at Walkersville. Basketball was his first love and garnered most of his attention during his freshman and sophomore years. Still harboring a basketball jones, he says he can still throw down some nasty dunks fairly well.

Pat Casadonte began working with her most prominent protégé at the beginning of his sophomore year, after he cleared a respectable, but far-from-eye-catching 5-6 as a freshman. By the end of their initial season together, Hill was jumping 6-4. Casadonte convinced him to give up hoops in order to focus on track. And the results speak for themselves.

Claiming both indoor and outdoor state high jump titles, Hill, The Gazette's outdoor track and field Athlete of the Year and all-state selection, was also named as the most valuable athlete of the Lions' 2008 Class 2A State outdoor championship outfit. He's also excelled at the long and triple jump, winning county titles in both and hoisting a state crown in the later. Holding the state high jump record, Hill isn't one dimensional, posting a 4.0 grade point average. A member of the national honor society, he was recognized as a Who's Who of American high schoolers.

Walkersville's media center was decked out in burnt orange and white Friday. A cake, decorated in Longhorn colors, was served to a contingent of Hill's family, coaches, teachers and teammates. After inking his signature, Hill's speech was brief.

"I just wanted to thank everyone for coming and I hope the cake is good." he said.