YANIS DAVID didn’t start the first day in the best frame of mind. The favorite in both horizontal jumps, the Florida senior let herself get rattled by the weather-related schedule changes. “I was pretty upset about the time change and all that. I don’t like last-minute changes. They upset me a lot, but my coach tried to keep me in the right mindset.”
David opened up with a modest first round 20-11¾ (6.39). TCU’s Destiny Longmire took the lead on the next jump with a 21-4¼ (6.51), and that helped David find her focus. “I thought, ‘I can do this, I’ve got this. I just need to trust what coach [Nic] Petersen says,’” said the 21-year-old French native. “I was just running through the board and doing what I had to do.”
In 4th at that point, the favored David flew into the lead with her second-round 21-11¾ (6.70). A few jumps later, Indoor champion Jasmyn Steels of Northwestern Louisiana came close, her 21-11½ (6.69)—a PR by 8½ inches (21cm)—showing David that relaxing wasn’t an option.
Said David, “I didn’t have a distance in mind, but I was like, ‘I’m going to go out there and execute and the distance will just come.’” She reeled off a 21-7½ (6.59) in round 3, but then watched as Steels grabbed the lead I round 4 with another PR, 22-¼ (6.71). David responded with a 21-11 (6.68)—not quite enough. However, in round 5, her persistence paid off with yet another personal record. “I was focused and determined to be the 2019 national champion,” she said of her big 22-5¼ (6.84). When she saw the measure—which put her in a tie for the No. 9 collegian ever—she sunk to the ground in relief.
That held up for the win, as Deborah Acquah moved to 3rd with a PR 21-9 (6.63) in round 5 and Steels could only muster a 21-3½ (6.49) on her final attempt. Altogether, 5 of the top 7 scored lifetime bests on a day where the biggest tailwind was just 1.7, but at the other end of the scale the lightest reading was 1.0, so there were no step-breaking gusts.
“It feels great,” said David, the Gators’ first-ever champion in the event. “It’s my senior year and I’m planning on going pro after that, so it’s really special to have my name there saying ‘long jump champ.’”
NCAA WOMEN’S LONG JUMP RESULTS
FINAL
(June 06; winds varied from +1.0 to +1.7)
1. Yanis David’ (Fl) 22-5¼ (6.84) PR (CL) (=9, x C; 3, 3 NCAA)
(20-11¾, 21-11¾, 21-7½, 21-11, 22-5¼, f) (6.39, 6.70, 6.59, 6.68, 6.84, f);
2. *Jasmyn Steels (NWnLa) 22-¼ (6.71) PR
(21-1¼, 21-11½ PR, f, 22-¼, f, 21-3½) (6.43, 6.69, f, 6.71, f, 6.49);
3. **Deborah Acquah’ (TxAM) 21-9 (6.63) PR
(20-3¾, 20-11¾, 20-¼, 20-9¼, 21-9, f) (6.19, 6.39, 6.10, 6.33, 6.63, f);
4. *Destiny Longmire (TCU) 21-6 (6.55) PR
(21-4¼, 21-1¼, 21-1¼, f, 21-6, 21-3¼) (6.51, 6.43, 6.43, f, 6.55, 6.48);
5. Rougui Sow’ (FlSt) 21-3½ (6.49)
(20-10½, 20-9¼, 20-7¾, 21-3¼, 21-2½, 21-3½) (6.36, 6.33, 6.29, 6.48, 6.46, 6.49);
6. Sarea Alexander (IncW) 21-1½ (6.44)
(20-½, 18-4½, 20-8, 19-11½, 20-10¾, 21-1½) (6.11, 5.60, 6.30, 6.08, 6.37, 6.44);
7. *Rhesa Foster (Or) 21-1¼ (6.43) PR
(21-½, 20-9, f, 21-1¼, 20-9¾, 21-1¼) (6.41, 6.32, f, 6.43, 6.34, 6.43);
8. **Aliyah Whisby (Ga) 21-0 (6.40)
(20-1¾, 20-9, 20-10½, 21-0, f, 19-3¼) (6.14, 6.32, 6.36, 6.40, f, 5.87);
9. Jogailė Petrokaitė’ (FlSt) 20-11¾ (6.39);
10. Kiara Williams (Al) 20-5¼ (6.23);
11. *Samiyah Samuels (Hous) 20-4½ (6.21);
12. **Nicola Ader’ (Nv) 20-4½;
13. Jewel Smith (Md) 20-4½ =PR;
14. *Nadia Williams’ (CMi) 20-3¾ (6.19);
15. **G’Auna Edwards (Ar) 20-3½ (6.18);
16. ***Tanalaya Gordon (Mem) 19-11½ (6.08);
17. *Eszter Bajnok’ (VaT) 19-9½ (6.03);
18. **Monae’ Nichols (B-C) 19-9½;
19. **Sophia Falco (Tx) 19-9 (6.02);
20. *Annastacia Forrester’ (WnKy) 19-7½ (5.98);
21. Shylia Riley (Nb) 19-7 (5.97);
22. Margaux Jones (USC) 19-7;
23. Jerayah Davis (Wy) 19-6¼ (5.95);
24. Hope Bender (UCSB) 18-9¾ (5.73).
(best-ever mark-for-NCAA-place: 7, 9)◻︎
