MALCOLM CLEMONS likes to follow a script of his own design.
“I always try to come out to the competition and get a good jump on my very first one,” explained the Gator senior. “And that’s what I did today.”
Yes, it was a relatively modest 26-4½ (8.04).
Jumping almost simultaneously in the other pit, Oklahoma State’s Big 12 champ Blair Anderson nearly matched the ’24 Olympian with a PR 26-3¾ (8.02). Although Clemons had only a ¾-inch (2cm) lead, about the thickness of a cell phone, it held up.
“There were a lot of people in the competition that knew they had a chance to pass that mark,” he said.
Yes, indeed. Anderson, on his second jump, could only come within 3 inches of his first attempt, for his second-best leap, but he earned the silver spot.
Anderson was a big surprise, coming in with a lifetime best of only 26-¼ (7.93). Also a surprise was 3rd-place finisher Henry Kiner, who had a season best of only 25-6 (7.77). But the Arkansas senior opened at 26-¼ (7.93) and in round 5 squeezed out 26-1½ (7.96), only a centimeter off his personal best.
Although four other challengers had season bests better than Clemons’ 26-4½ (8.04), none could match their earlier season marks.
Defending champ JC Stevenson set a PR 26-11¾ (8.22) to win for USC last year and led the year list with his indoor 26-9¾ (8.17) leap at altitude in Albuquerque. Here he didn’t make the finals, with a 25-5¼ (7.75) following 2 fouls.
Though Clemons’ winning mark was shorter than all but two winners in the meet’s last 10 editions, the Gator senior — who placed 3rd last year and 4th in ’23 — said, “It means a lot. This is something I wanted since I first got into college and being top 3 many times has been hard. I’ve always wanted that win, so being able to lock in and leave this day knowing that I’m a champion means the world to me.”
MEN’S LONG JUMP RESULTS
FINAL (June 11; winds ranged from +2.9 to –1.1)
1. Malcolm Clemons (Fl) 26-4½w (8.04)
(26-4½w, f, 25-11, 25-8¾, f, 19-11¾) (8.04w, f, 7.90, 7.84, f, 6.09);
2. Blair Anderson (OkSt) 26-3¾w (8.02)
(26-3¾w, 26-¾w, 24-2½, 24-10, 25-5¼, 24-9¼) (8.02w, 7.94w, 7.38, 7.57, 7.75, 7.55);
3. Henry Kiner (Ar) 26-1½ (7.96)
(26-¼, 25-6¾, 25-7½, 26-1½, f, 25-¾) (7.93, 7.79, 7.81, 7.96, f, 7.64);
4. **Charles Godfred’ (Mn-Ngr) 25-11½ (7.91)
(25-2½, f, 25-11½, f, 24-8¼, 25-2½) (7.68, f, 7.91, f, 7.52, 7.68);
5. Lokesh Sathyanathan’ (Tarl-Ind) 25-8¼ (7.83)
(24-10, 25-8¼, 25-2½, f, f, f) (7.57, 7.83, 7.68, f, f, f);
6. ***Tyson Adams (NCSt) 25-7½ (7.81)
(25-2¾, f, 25-7½, 25-4¾, 24-11¼, f) (7.69, f, 7.81, 7.74, 7.60, f);
7. *Greg Foster (Prin) 25-7¼ (7.80)
(f, 25-3¼, 25-7¼, f, f, f) (f, 7.70, 7.80, f, f, f);
8. ***Jayden Keys (Ga) 25-7¼ (7.80)
(24-11¾, 25-½, 25-7¼, f, 24-10½, f) (7.61, 7.63, 7.80, f, 7.58, f);
9. ***Uroy Ryan’ (Ar-StV) 25-6 (7.77); 10. Tye Hunt (Young) 25-6 (7.77); 11. *JC Stevenson (USC) 25-5¼ (7.75); 12. De’Aundre Ward (SnMs) 25-4½ (7.73) out PR; 13. Reinaldo Rodrigues’ (Az-Bra) 25-2¾ (7.69); 14. *Chris Preddie (TxSt) 25-0 (7.62); 15. ***Roy Morris (NWnLa) 24-7¾ (7.51); 16. Anthony Riley (Ok) 24-5¾ (7.46); 17. **Micah Larry (Ga) 24-5¾ (7.46); 18. ***Juriad Hughes (Ar) 24-3¾ (7.41); 19. **DJ Fillmore (OhSt) 24-3½ (7.40); 20. *Curtis Williams (FlSt) 23-6¾ (7.18); 21. Louis Gordon’ (Alb-Cay) 23-4¾ (7.13);… 3f—**Josh Parrish (Wich), Safin Wills’ (Or-Jam), Channing Ferguson (SC).
