June 30, 2008

Men's Long Jump Final Results

EUGENE, Ore. - An NCAA Indoor Championship, a Big West Championship, a pair of Cal State Northridge records, NCAA Outdoor All-America honors and a spot in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials would make an impressive year for any athlete.

But that was just the freshman season for Northridge's Reindell Cole.

Cole wrapped up a long track & field season on Sunday after finishing 12th in the long jump final at the U.S. Olympic Trials at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field. After finishing 10th in the preliminary round, he posted a best of 25-0 (7.62m) on Sunday to place 12th. After jumping 7.49 on his first attempt, Cole posted 7.62 on his second attempt and 7.24 on his third.

The freshman from Las Vegas, Nev, will look back on an accolade-filled 2007 indoor and outdoor season.

Touted as a impressive talent coming in, Cole came out of nowhere in March to win the NCAA Indoor long jump championship. After finishing second to Washington's Norris Frederick at the MPSF Indoor Championships, Cole took on a solid field of long jumpers at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. He was the only jumper to surpass 8.0 meters (26-7.75) on his way to the title and Cal State Northridge had back-to-back NCAA long jump champions after DaShalle Andrews won the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Championship. Cole's mark also shattered the 15-year old Cal State Northridge indoor long jump record and set the stage for an impressive outdoor season.

The outdoor season began to take shape in early April when Cole came away with a first-place finish at the prestigious Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays in Austin. After fouling on his first attempt, he approached 8.0 meters again as he posted a mark of 26-0.75 (7.94) to defeat another talented field. His mark matched Derek Scurry's school record but that was just the beginning for the freshman.

In a field filled with competitors he would meet again at the Olympic Trials, Cole finished fifth at the Mt. SAC Relays in mid-April after jumping 25-8.75 (7.84) but his career-best would come two weeks later. On May 4 at the Steve Scott Invitational at UC Irvine, Cole put the rest of the nation on notice as he jumped 26-9.75 (8.17) to post the best mark among collegiate jumpers in the nation. Again he rewrote the Matador record book as his mark easily out-distanced Scurry's 1993 record of 26-0.75.

Cole carried the momentum into the Big West Championships as he jumped 25-2 (7.67) to easily capture the conference title and look forward to the NCAA West Regionals which would also be held on his home track in Northridge.

He jumped 24-6.50 (7.48) in the final which may have been disappointing by his standards but was good enough to reach the NCAA Outdoor Championships at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Cole finished 10th at the outdoor championships after posting a best of 25-4 (7.72) but was accorded All-America honors after finishing among the top eight American athletes in the event.

His career-best mark set at UC Irvine carried him to the U.S. Olympic Trials where he jumped 25-08.75 (7.84m) in qualifying on Friday, June 27 to reach the event final.

- GO MATADORS -