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
(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,…
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