2014 NBNI Previews: Boys Jumps
Fourth in a series
BOYS’ TRIPLE JUMP
(scroll down for boys’ long jump, high jump and pole vault)
National Record: 52-7.5 Keith Holley VA 1988
Meet Record: 51-11 Mark Jackson TX 2010
Top 6 Entrants
(based on 2013 indoor best)
51-3 John Warren 14 VA (US#1)
50-2 Ja’Mari Ward 16 IL (US#2)
49-3.75 KeAndre Bates 14 (US#3)
48-8.75 Darrel Jones 14 NY (US#5)
48-4 Devon Willis 14 NY (US#8)
48-3 Nate Moore 14 CA (US#10)
(based on career best, in or out/wind-legal)
51-6.25* KeAndre Bates 14 (US#3)
51-3 John Warren 14 VA
50-11.75* Nate Moore 14 CA
50-2 Ja’Mari Ward 16 IL
49-3* Ryan Thomas 14 DE
48-10.25* Devon Willis 14 NY
(*=2013 outdoor)
2013 NBNI Top 6
(no returnees in top 6)
1 Jeremiah Green 13 FL 51-6.5
2 Jonathan Pitt 13 NJ 49-7.25
3 Aaron Worrell 13 VA 49-5.75
4 Jaelen Spencer 13 CA 48-8.75
5 Christian Rogers 13 VA 48-1.75
6 Keron Brown 13 DE 47-11
Top returnees
8 Devon Willis 14 NY 47-3
9 Ryan Thomas 14 DE 46-9.5
12 John Warren 14 KS 46-4.75
14 Leaugen Fray 14 NJ 45-10
15 Darrel Jones 14 NY 45-10
16 Isaac Arriola 14 VA 45-7.75
Analysis
The boys’ triple jump may not quite have the national-record-threatening performer at the top end, like Keturah Orji in the girls’ TJ, but the battle fans will witness Sunday with a quartet of 50-footers should be at least as irresistible. And, as is the case for the girls, NSAF Project Triple Jump athletes will be a huge part of the drama.
Last March, John Warren – then prepping in Kansas – managed just 12th in the TJ here. The talented student-athlete, then with a best of 48-10, was still chosen to be a part of Team NSAF at Caribbean Scholastics, then was a much stronger 3rd at NBNO. Now a senior at Prince George, VA, he hit 50-9.25 in early January, then a month later 51-3 – good for US#1 and the favorite’s role here.
But Warren is hardly an overwhelming favorite – Project TJ’ers Ja’Mari Ward and KeAndre Bates, as well as Californian Nate Moore, will be eager challengers. Ward, a Cahokia, IL soph, set the national 9th-grade mark last winter and has taken it to a thrilling new level now with a 49-0.75 in January and then a soph class HSR 50-2.5 in February. His older “teammate” Bates (El Paso Burges, TX senior), however, did beat Ward at the New Balance Boise Indoor – but is chasing him on the list with 49-6.5 outdoor/49-3.75 indoor bests so far in 2014. But Bates, of course, has his 51-6.25 from last year that advanced him to the final at the World Youth Champs. You have a feeling he could propel himself back into the 51s at any moment.
Then there’s Moore (Castro Valley, CA senior), another thrilling talent. He’s only jumped once indoors, a 48-3 victory at Simplot (and since has an outdoor 48-9), and noted there that he was pointing for this NBNI weekend. Given his own stellar 2013 campaign, where he bounded a legal 50-11.75 to win his state title, Moore will indeed be a force to be reckoned with.
Beyond these four? It’s tough to imagine anyone breaking it up, unless one of them seriously falters or someone else really breaks through. A dark horse to watch for is Devon Willis (Schalmont, NY senior), a 48-4 performer this winter who did 48-10 outdoors last spring and is also the highest returnee here after taking 8th in 2013. Yes, the top 7 last year were all seniors and only Warren among the lead quartet has jumped in this meet before.
BOYS’ LONG JUMP
National Record: 26-6.5 Dion Bentley PA 1989
Meet Record: 25-3.25 Marquis Dendy DE 2011
Top 6 Entrants
(based on 2013 indoor best)
24-1.25 Adoree’ Jackson CA (US#2)
23-11.75 Nate Moore CA (US#3)
23-11.5 Isaiah Moore NC (US#5)
23-9.25 Isaiah Brooks PA (US#7)
23-8.5 Dayshawn Taylor NY (US#8)
23-8.25 Michael Egotanda NY (US#9)
(based on career best, in or out/wind-legal)
25-0* Adoree’ Jackson CA
24-11.75* Nate Moore CA
24-8.5* Isaiah Moore NC
23-11.25* Cole Henderson IL
23-9.25 Isaiah Brooks PA
23-8.5 Dayshawn Taylor NY
Windy or NWI
23-10.75* Willie-Lionel Reed LA
(*=2013 outdoor)
2013 NBNI Top 6
(no returnees in top 6)
1 Andre Jefferson 13 TX 24-8.5
2 Cameron Luper 13 AL 24-8.5
3 Jared Kerr 13 CAN 23-8.25
4 Stevens Dorcelus 14 CAN 23-8.25
5 Alex Niemiec 13 MA 23-3.25
6 Desmond Mobley 13 NY 23-1.75
Top returnees
9 John Warren 14 KS 22-3.5
10 Ryan Thomas 14 DE 22-2.5
16 Isaiah Brooks 15 PA 21-6.25
-- Isaiah Moore 14 NC NM (3 fouls)
Analysis
They did battle at Arcadia last spring, waged war in Clovis, and faced off again this winter in Pocatello. Now the outstanding California rivalry that is Adoree’ Jackson vs. Nate Moore comes to The Armory, where two of the nation’s best long jumpers – potentially THE best two – will face off Saturday at NBNI.
Moore (Castro Valley, senior) seems to think of himself as a triple jumper first, having noted at Simplot that event as the one he was shooting for most at the 2013 CIF Final. The long jump win over Jackson – a PR 24-11.5 to Jackson’s 24-7.5 – was kind of an unexpected, but thrilling bonus. Jackson (Junipero Serra, senior), even better known for his gridiron talents (the 5-star cornerback signed with USC), had beaten Moore at Arcadia and would win at Simplot as they produced the US#2-3 performances of this season. Really a prodigal LJ’er, Jackson had won state as a soph in 2012 with a legal 25-footer and basically matched it in the 2013 SS Finals. He was also 3rd at Penn as a soph. Watching these two duke it out should be supremely entertaining.
And they won’t be alone. 2013 World Youth bronze medalist Isaiah Moore (Cummings, NC senior) will be finally getting the competition he’s been looking for all winter. He’s at US#4 with 23-11.5 after hitting that monster 24-8.5 in Donetsk last summer to get on the podium. If you’re noticing at this point that all three of the above-mentioned contenders are 9-12 inches off their outdoor PRs so far this winter, it could very well be said that the jumper who can “return to form” and mark at least in the mid-24s is the one who could come away with gold here.
Missing from the field, unfortunately, is US#1 Mustaqeem Williams, the Forest Park, VA senior at 24-9 who became injured after state. And others to watch include Cole Henderson, a Pekin Community, IL senior who has not jumped yet in 2014, but had a legal 23-11.25 in winning state last year and was 5th at NBNO. Moore was 3rd at NBNO last June, by the way, but fouled out of last winter’s NBNI. A large handful of other jumpers in the 23-6 to 23-10 range will battle for the lesser podium spots or possibly a top-3 finish should any of the faves falter.
BOYS’ POLE VAULT
National Record: 17-9.75 Andrew Irwin AR 2011
Meet Record: 17-5 Maston Wallace TX 2007
Top 6 Entrants
(based on 2013 indoor best)
17-8 Devin King LA (US#1)
17-1 Noah Gilfillan TX (US#3)
16-9 Todd Uckermark NY (US#4)
16-8 Harrison Williams TN (=US#6)
16-4.75 Jonathan Denby IL (US#10)
16-2 August Kiles CA (US#12)
(based on career best, in or out)
17-8 Devin King LA
17-1 Noah Gilfillan TX
16-9 Todd Uckermark NY
16-8 Harrison Williams TN
16-4.75 Jonathan Denby IL
16-4* August Kiles CA
(*=2013 outdoor)
2013 NBNI Top 6
(top registered returnees in bold)
1 Daven Murphree 13 TX 17-1
2 Dylan Duvio 13 LA 16-9.25
3 Matthew Rowland 13 OH 16-5.25
4 Craig Hunter 13 NJ 16-1.25
5 Fredrick Krieger 13 MN 16-1.25
6 Devin King 14 LA 15-9.25
Additional top returnees
10 Todd Uckermark 14 NY 15-3.5
23 Noah Gilfillan 14 TX NH
Analysis
When you’re an athlete with the last name “King,” it’s always nice if your performances can back that up, so to speak. Among U.S. prep boy’s pole vaulters right now, the name definitely fits Devin King. The Jewel Sumner, LA senior has ruled the event all winter and when he comes to NBNI for Saturday’s competition, he’ll be one of the bigger favorites of the meet. He’s already vaulted 17 feet or better five times this winter, both indoor and outdoor, including a victory at the National PV Summit in Reno and his US#1 17-8 at his state qualifying meet – a mark that is #2 all-time and less than two inches off the HSR. King is not shy about admitting he’d like to become the first prep over 18 indoors. This will be his last chance to make that dream come true.
Oh, one other thing: It should be mentioned that King came to New York last March with a 17-1 PR, but struggled to a 6th-place finish, not even clearing 16 feet. So that should motivate him as well. He fared better at NBNO, then made Team USA for World Youths where he was 6th.
Can anyone vault with King? There’s one other vaulter in the meet who’s cleared 17 before: Noah Gilfillan (Corsicana, TX senior). Gilfillan scaled 17-1 back in late December and has since had five meets between 16 and 16-6. Then Warwick Valley, NY senior Todd Uckermark, has a best of 16-9 and is one of two 16-footers from his school – the other being junior Derek Dibona (16-1). Uckermark, however, hit his PR in late December as well, then went 16-2 in Reno for 8th. He has been mostly at 16-0 since, though he hasn’t really been pushed.
Another contender – who happened to PR in Reno – is Harrison Williams. The Memphis U. HS senior hit 16-8 there and since has vaulted 16-6.75 and 16-0. He is passing up the pentathlon here, where he was 2nd last year and would be battling for the title (he’s a 7,181 HS decathlete), to focus what’s likely his favorite individual event. Two others who could contend for a top three spot are Jonathan Denby (Carlinville, IL senior), who PR’d with 16-4.75 a few weeks back, and August Kiles (Tamalpais, CA senior), who has done 16-2 this winter and 16-4 last spring.
BOYS’ HIGH JUMP
National Record: 7-5.25 Scott Sellers TX 2004
Meet Record: 7-5.25 Scott Sellers TX 2004
Top Entrants
(based on 2013 indoor best)
7-1 Steven Dunbar 14 VA (US#2)
6-10 Bradley Jones 15 VA (US#7)
6-9 Donald Ohlson 14 NY (US#12)
6-8.25 Justin Sicari 14 NY (US#14)
(9 tied at 6-8)
(based on career best, in or out)
7-1 Steven Dunbar 14 VA
6-11* Paul Galas 14 CAN
6-11* Kai Rowden 14 KS
6-10* Willie-Lionel Reed 14 LA
6-10 Bradley Jones 15 VA
6-9.5 Tyree Ballanger 14 PA
(*=2013 outdoor)
2013 NBNI Top 6
(no returnees in top 6)
1 Philippe St-Hilaire 14 CAN 6-9
2 Ibn Short 13 PA 6-9
3 Adam Couitt 14 MA 6-7
4 Demario Gray 13 CT 6-7
5 Joe Mankovecky 13 OH 6-7
6 Elizae McDonald 13 PA 6-7
Top returnees
10 Steven Dunbar 14 VA 6-5
16 Bradley Jones 15 VA 6-5
16 Leaugen Fray 14 NJ 6-5
Analysis
The boys’ high jump is another event with a World Youth finalist on the entry list, but this time it’s a Canadian: Paul Galas from Ontario placed 7th in Donetsk last year at 2.11 (6-11) after also placing 7th at NBON and, if US#2 Steven Dunbar (Tallwood, VA senior) and maybe a few others prove worthy of the task, could make this an exciting event Saturday evening. The 2013 version of the event was also captured by a Canadian, Philippe St-Hilaire, who beat Ibn Short (Milton Hershey, PA) on misses as both cleared just 6-9.
Dunbar, who is also a national class long- and triple-jumper, hit 7-1 in a weekday conference meet in early January and also has since had meets of 6-11 and 6-10. He was just 10th here last year, but then improved mightily to 2nd at NBNO. He’s also trying to rebound from a disappointing 4th at 6A state. Another Virginia to watch is Bradley Jones (Oscar Smith, junior), who has scaled 6-10 this winter in taking runner-up in that 6A state meet.
Two others could challenge at 6-10 or better if they can regain their 2013 form. Kai Rowden (Olathe North, KS senior) has had a quiet 2014 so far, but hit 6-11 in his conference meet last spring. Willie-Lionel Reed (Lusher Charter, LA senior), also a contender in the LJ with a 23-10 best, hit 6-10 last summer but has not jumped yet this year.
