FOR TCU’s Chengetayi Mapaya, ending up last in the order for the final three jumps turned out to be fortuitous, as he was able to pull out all the stops for a round 6 leap of 56-2½ (17.13) that brought him the victory over favored Jordan Scott of Virginia.
The evening hadn’t started so well for Mapaya, who placed 5th last year and was 3rd in this year’s Indoor. In round 1, he went 54-2½w (16.52), a mark that put him into 2nd. However, the next stanza is when the jumping heated up, with 10 of the competitors reaching their best marks of the day. Three of them passed Mapaya, who found himself in 5th as round 3 began. Leading was O’Brien Wasome of Texas, who had gone 54-10w (16.71), a mark he would not better. Mapaya bounded a PR 55-2¼ (16.82) to take over the lead. Scott, meanwhile, struggled to find his steps, barely making it into the final rounds with his 53-10½ (16.42) that positioned him in 8th.
In round 4, both Scott and Mapaya fouled, but Florida State senior Armani Wallace moved up from 6th to take the lead with his PR 55-9 (16.99). In round 5, first Scott responded with a 55-1 (16.79) to take over 3rd, then Mapaya strengthened his hold on 2nd with another PR, 55-7 (16.94). Scott made his best effort in the final round, reaching 55-9¾ (17.01) for a slim lead over Wallace. The Seminole senior, who had fouled his fifth attempt, finished off with another foul. Then Southern Mississippi’s John Warren hit 55-¾ (16.78) for 4th with his second outdoor PR of the day.
Meanwhile, Mapaya waited. The 20-year-old Zimbabwean would be the final performer of the day. He knew exactly what he would have to do to win. “I had the advantage in that I was the last jumper, so I actually knew what I had to jump,” he said. He put together a clutch effort, hitting the sand at 56-2½ (17.13) to capture TCU’s first-ever title in the event. “It was amazing,” he said. I’ve always wanted to jump 17m and 56ft. I believed and I did it.” As an added bonus, the leap made WC standard and gave Mapaya a berth on his nation’s team for Doha.
He revealed later that his grandfather had died 3 days previously: “I just wanted to win it for him. I think it gave me some power. Every time I jumped, I wanted to do it for him.”
NCAA MEN’S TRIPLE JUMP RESULTS
FINAL
(June 07; winds ranged from +0.6 to +3.4)
1. **Chengetayi Mapaya’ (TCU) 56-2½ (17.13) PR (CL)
(54-2½w, 53-¾, 55-2¼ out PR, f, 55-7 PR, 56-2½) (16.52w, 16.17, 16.82, f, 16.94, 17.13);
2. *Jordan Scott’ (Va) 55-9¾ (17.01)
(53-5w, 53-10½, 53-5, f, 55-1, 55-9¾) (16.28w, 16.42, 16.28, f, 16.79, 17.01);
3. Armani Wallace (FlSt) 55-9 (16.99) PR
(f, 52-1¾w, 54-7½, 55-9, f, f) (f, 15.89w, 16.65, 16.99, f, f);
4. John Warren (SnMs) 55-¾ (16.78) out PR
(54-8¾ out PR, 54-9¼w, 53-2¼w, 53-¾, 54-0, 55-¾) (16.68, 16.69w, 16.21w, 16.17, 16.46, 16.78);
5. *O’Brien Wasome (Tx) 54-10w (16.71)
(53-6½, 54-10w, 49-10, f, f, 53-6¼) (16.32, 16.71w, 15.19, f, f, 16.31);
6. Odaine Lewis’ (TxT) 54-9½ (16.70)
(53-1¾, 54-9½, 53-10¼, 53-8¼, 52-6, 52-10¾) (16.20, 16.70, 16.41, 16.36, 16.00, 16.12);
7. Eric Bethea (In) 54-7½ (16.65) PR
(53-8½, 54-7½, f, f, f, f) (16.37, 16.65, f, f, f, f);
8. *Tuomas Kaukolahti’ (Cal) 54-1¾ (16.50) =PR;
9. *Ade’ Mason (Ok) 53-9 (16.38);
10. ***Treyvon Ferguson (Ks) 53-1 (16.18) PR;
11. **R’Lazon Brumfield (TnSt) 52-11½ (16.14);
12. *Jah Strange (Pur) 52-7¼ (16.03) PR;
13. *Clayton Brown’ (Fl) 52-5½ (15.99);
14. **Papay Glaywulu (Ok) 52-3¾ (15.94);
15. *Christian Miller (LSU) 52-3¾;
16. Charles Brown (TxT) 52-¾ (15.87);
17. Devon Willis (Alb) 51-11¼ (15.83);
18. *Keshun Mcgee (EnWa) 51-9 (15.77);
19. **Tamar Greene’ (Pur) 51-3¾ (15.64);
20. Jaden Purnell (OR) 51-3½ (15.63);
21. *Rickey Fantroy (BYU) 50-10 (15.49);
22. ***Georgi Nachev’ (Mo) 50-5¼ (15.37);
23. ***Jamar Davis (NCSt) 50-1¾ (15.28);
24. *Daniel Igbokwe’ (Col) 49-8¼ (15.14).
