JACKSON TWP — Conor Barrett knows where his focus lies during the spring.

"My main priority is volleyball," said the Seneca Valley junior.

Still, it means something when you're also a WPIAL Class AAA track and field champion in the high jump.

Barrett has been pulling double duty again this spring, spending time with the Raiders boys volleyball and track teams.

While a handful of athletes can turn that trick, few have had the Barrett's success.

At last Thursday's WPIAL Championships at Baldwin, Barrett won the high jump title with a jump of 6-feet, 5 inches, just short of his personal best of 6-8 set at the Baldwin Invitational two weeks earlier.

As a middle hitter on the volleyball team, Barrett helped the Raiders to an 11-3 record before losing in the quarterfinal round of the WPIAL playoffs to Fox Chapel on Monday.

"The track coaches kept bugging me to come out, so I thought I'd try to jump," said Barrett. "The coaches have tried to get me to hurdle. People have told me I have a great vertical leap. "

Aside from the fact Barrett has competed in the high jump for only two seasons, it's surprising he's been so successful because he's lucky if he can make it to a full track practice.

"He goes to practice from about 3 to 3:45 p.m., then comes up to the gym," said Raiders volleyball coach Jeff Beavers. "By the time he gets here, we're ready to go. All he's missing is the conditioning, and he gets that from track.

"The track coach and I talked about his schedule and his parents have been very supportive, taking him from one place to another," Beavers added.

Barrett, who spent seven years Irish step dancing before he reached the seventh grade, when he began to play football, basketball and volleyball, has had a big junior season for the Raiders track team.

He won the high jump at the Butler (6-4), Mars (6-4) and Baldwin invitationals, as well as the WPIAL finals.

His 6-8 is a school record and ties him for second on the Butler County all-time honor roll with Freeport's Rob Stauffer (1996) and Butler's Bob Bartlett (1993). Only Butler's Matt Nowakowski (6-9 in 2000) has gone higher.

"It still surprises me every time," said Barrett, whose best as a sophomore was 6-2. "I can't imagine I can jump 6-foot-8. I just amaze myself, in a modest way."

Despite having to shift gears so often, Barrett found Beavers to be encouraging.

"He was extremely understanding, very supportive," said Barrett.

And that appeared to benefit the volleyball team as well.

"I think it helped Conor's confidence level in his athletic ability," said Beavers. "He knows he can jump from one sport to another."

Barrett now will try his luck at the PIAA Championships this weekend at Shippensburg University, but he knows the competition will only get steeper.

"My goal is to win the state title, but there is one kid who has jumped higher than me," said Barrett. "I'll just prepare this week. There's a little less pressure now."

With the volleyball loss to the Foxes ending the team's season, Barrett doesn't have to concern himself with the semifinals that would have been played Wednesday and the finals/consolations on Friday, which would have been the first day of the state track meet.

Still, the volleyball team will definitely be pulling for Barrett.

"When he left (Monday)," said Beavers, "I told him to go get our gold medal."