CONTENT AS A CHESHIRE CAT, Jasmine Moore was smiling grandly after the long jump. She had acted swiftly as the second jumper in her flight. The Florida soph challenged everyone with a 22-¾ (6.72) leap. No one could answer the indoor champ’s offering.
“My runup was good on that first jump,” Moore explained. “I wanted to do well — to execute a good jump.” She did exactly that, adding a nice series that saw only 6½ inches (16cm) separating her 5 jumps. Four of them were good enough to win.
Tyra Gittens, last year’s runner-up, opened slowly with 20-9¼ (6.33) and the Texas senior, just 3 days after her 24th birthday, neared Moore with a second-round 21-6¾w (6.57). But that was as close as she would get.
“My approach was good tonight — both physical and mental,” said Trinidadian Olympian Gittens. “Even though my jumps weren’t great, my approach on the runway was strong. I wanted to execute well today — and I did.”
Gittens was cruising along in 2nd for most of the following rounds — until Texas A&M senior Deborah Acquah rocked the boat in stanza 5.
Unhappy with early results her coach said to back up a bit. “He wanted me to push from the back, my back leg,” she said. It worked, as Acquah popped 21-8 (6.60) to edge past Gittens into 2nd. “I usually get nervous in competition, but my coach got me to focus and calm down.”
Texas Tech senior Monae’ Nichols, the yearly list leader at 22-10½ (6.97), was favored coming in, but she never got into a great rhythm. She opened at 21-5½ (6.54) and never improved, ending up 4th.
The event had potential team-score ramifications, as Florida had been projected for 10 points but got 14 as Gator soph Claire Bryant ended up 5th. Texas improved on its projection by 2 with Ackelia Smith’s 8th joining Gittens as a scorer.
The only PR of the night came from Baylor senior Caira Pettway in 7th.
NCAA WOMEN’S LONG JUMP RESULTS
(June 09)
1. **Jasmine Moore (Fl) 22-¾ (6.72)
(22-¾, 21-11¾, 21-6¼, 21-9, 21-9, p) (6.72, 6.70, 6.56, 6.63, 6.63, p);
2. Deborah Acquah’ (TxAM-Gha) 21-8 (6.60)
(21-0, f, 21-0, 21-2¾, 21-8, 21-4) (6.40, f, 6.40, 6.47, 6.60, 6.50);
3. Tyra Gittens’ (Tx-Tri) 21-6¾w (6.57)
(20-9¼, 21-6¾w, f, 20-5, 21-½, 21-2¾) (6.33, 6.57w, f, 6.22, 6.41, 6.47);
4. Monae’ Nichols (TxT) 21-5½ (6.54)
(21-5½, 20-10, 21-0, f, f, 21-4¼) (6.54, 6.35, 6.40, f, f, 6.51);
5. **Claire Bryant (Fl) 21-4¼ (6.51)
(21-4¼, 20-7¼, 20-9¾, 20-5¾, 20-11¼, 21-4) (6.51, 6.28, 6.34, 6.24, 6.38, 6.50);
6. **Morgan Smalls (LSU) 21-2¾ (6.47) (19-10¼, 20-8, 20-2½, f, 21-2¾, 20-7¾) (6.05, 6.30, 6.16, f, 6.47, 6.29);
7. Caira Pettway (Bay) 21-½ (6.41) PR
(20-6½, 20-7¼, 20-5w, 20-6½, 20-3¾, 21-½) (6.26, 6.28, 6.22w, 6.26, 6.19, 6.41);
8. ***Ackelia Smith’ (Tx-Jam) 20-9¾ (6.34)
(20-½, 20-8½, 20-9, 20-9¾, f, 20-8½) (6.11, 6.31, 6.32, 6.34, f, 6.31);
9. ***Ayele Gerken’ (Mo-Ger) 20-9¼ (6.33); 10. Anna Keefer (NC) 20-6½ (6.26); 11. *Titiana Marsh (Ga) 20-6½ (6.26); 12. *Rachel Hagans (Murr) 20-5¼ (6.23); 13. **LaQwasia Stepney (Nb) 20-5 (6.22); 14. *Paola Fernandez-Sola’ (In-PR) 20-3½ (6.18); 15. *Elizabeth White (SnUt) 20-3 (6.17); 16. **Rūta Lasmane’ (TxT-Lat) 20-3 (6.17); 17. ***Velecia Williams’ (KsSt-Jam) 20-1 (6.12); 18. **Serena Bolden (LSU) 19-8 (5.99); 19. Ayanna Johnson (Lib) 19-7½ (5.98); 20. **Shaniya Benjamin (SFl) 19-4¼ (5.90); 21. Alex Madlock (Bay) 19-3½ (5.88); 22. **Jasmine Akins (KennSt) 18-8½ (5.70);… 3f—**Synclair Savage (Louis), Ruth Usoro’ (TxT-Ngr). ◻︎