Ngonidzashe Makusa of Zimbabwe at the NCAA Champs (© Kirby Lee)
Only five finals were held yesterday (12 June) at the NCAA championships, but they produced some good performances, especially in the long jumps.
Ngonidzashe Makusa (ZIM) fractured his national record (8.16m, set on May 9) twice in the men’s long jump. His first attempt carried him to 8.25 (+1.6); it was followed by a 7.98 (+1.4) and two passes. But his fifth jump was the piece de resistance – 8.30 into a 1.2 m/s headwind – making him the year’s fourth best performer.
Makusa has caught the college spirit (he is a freshman at Florida State University, and his team won the championship last year).
“This is one of my dreams and it just came true,” he said. “It’s a feeling I’ve never experienced before. To be a national champion my freshman year is really great.”
Already named to the Zimbabwean Olympic team, Makusa added, “I’ve been working really hard on my technique with coach (Dennis) Nobles. I think I’m starting to put some things together. It makes me feel good as I head for the Games.”
A few hours earlier, Brittney Reese of Mississippi State University had equalled her world-leading 6.93 (with South Africa’s Karin Mey) with another 6.93, preceded by a 6.75 which itself would have been good enough to win.
“I thought I could go out about 23 feet (7.01). It could have been a better jump but I’ve been dealing with a lot of injuries.”
A competitive decathlon was won by Ashton Eaton of Oregon with a new PB of 8,055, highlighted by a 7.68 long jump and a 47.25 400 metres, and sewed up by a 4:33.05 1500 metres.
He was followed by Jangy Addy of Tennessee, 94 points off his PB with 7,916, and Chilean Gonzalo Barriolhet with a PB 7,907.
The men’s 10,000 was won by Shadrack Songok (KEN) in 28:46.69 and the women’s 10,000 by Iowa native Lisa Koll.
Jim Dunaway for the IAAF
