2.22m (7-3.25) High Jump - not bad for a first meet

[rainbowgirl28]

Lindenwood high jumper Donald Thomas cleared 2.22m (7-3.25) at the Eastern Illinois Mega Meet today. Pretty impressive for the first meet of his collegiate career.

Donald is a member of the JV basketball team at Lindenwood. He is friends with LU high jumper Carlos Mattis. One day they were playing ball and Donald dunked on Carlos. Carlos is 6'9", and said, "Anyone who can dunk on me can high jump at least 7 feet." Last Thursday Carlos and Donald show up at practice and ask Coach Lohr if Donald can high jump at the meet on Saturday. Coach Lohr said sure and filled out a clearance form for track.

Carlos and Donald decided to practice a little bit in the fieldhouse. Supposedly Donald cleared 7 feet. I don't think anybody actually believed them, but it wasn't a big deal.

At the meet today, Donald didn't look like your typical high jumper. He was wearing basketball shorts and sneakers, didn't have a specific mark to run from and he didn't arch his back over the bar.

He came in at 1.94 (6-4.25) and cleared on his first. Cleared 1.99 (6-6.25) on his first, a provisional qualifier. Cleared 2.04 (6-8.25) on his first, an automatic qualifier. He and teammates Carlos and Kevin passed 2.09 went for 2.14 (7-0.25). He cleared on his second attempt for a new school record and Carlos and Kevin go out. He had the bar raised to 2.?? (7-2) and clears on his first. Raised the bar to 2.22 (7-3.25) to break the fieldhouse record. Cleared on his first.

Then he stops. Coach Lohr was concerned that he would hurt himself, as he has no training for high jump and that is a lot of torque to put on the body.

Not bad for a first meet.


Some background on Donald:

Donald is from Freeport, Bahamas. He came to Lindenwood to play basketball. Quit the team his freshman year (the previous men's coach was terrible). Did no training other than street basketball until November of this year (his 4th) when he decided to turn out for the basketball team again under the new coach. He has to play 5 JV games before he can move up to varsity.

The only high jumping he has ever done before this week was an intraschool competition in grade 11. He thinks he cleared about 6-4. He says he is about 6-2 or 6-3 tall. His birthday is July 1, 1984. He is in his 4th year of school but this is his first year of track so we list him as a freshman.



I was pole vaulting while all of this was going on. I grabbed my camera between jumps and snapped a shot of him going over the bar at 7-3.25. The coach at Eastern got some video, so hopefully I will have that online soon.

[rainbowgirl28]

This is the picture I took of him over 2.22 (7-3.25). Sorry that it totally sucks. If I had been thinking I would have just shot video.





Same jump, a picture our sprint coach took with my other camera. You can see me in the background taking the top picture.

[SKOT]

being the dork that i am, i went and found the last national championship results for the bahamas. they were for the olympic trials in 2004. Donald Thomas' jump would have won the bahamas nationals by 9cm!

http://www.bahamastrack.com/Results/200 ... nships.HTM

[rainbowgirl28]

being the dork that i am, i went and found the last national championship results for the bahamas. they were for the olympic trials in 2004. Donald Thomas' jump would have won the bahamas nationals by 9cm!

http://www.bahamastrack.com/Results/200 ... nships.HTM

Trevor Barry... he competes for Dickinson State, an NAIA rival of ours. He won the high jump at indoor nationals last year and got 2nd outdoors.

[LHSpolevault]

that's sick... must feel good to get a school and fieldhouse record in your first meet lol

[KYLE ELLIS]

the guy made 7'3 easy! it was the most incredible thing i have ever witnessed. i guess you just had to be there and realize what was happening.

[VaultMarq26]

i saw a guy from Minnesotta State Makento jump 7' 4" this weekend and Kyle is right.....nothing compairs to seeing someone jump that live.

[AVC Coach]

I've never heard a story quite like that! That's amazing! I say put a pole in his hands and see what happens. Congrats to Donald! I'll bet he's not "JV" in track.

[rainbowgirl28]

Just got the video up http://www.polevaultpower.com/media/video/

[EIUvltr]

i saw a guy from Minnesotta State Makento jump 7' 4" this weekend and Kyle is right.....nothing compairs to seeing someone jump that live.

I saw it too, but you guys dont understand, there is a difference between jumping 7'3 after years of training and flawless form, compared to someone who doesnt have a step, doesnt have the right shoes, and has only been doing it for 2 days and clears 7'3 by about 4 inches.

This guy is the definition of potential, and basically proves that if you want to be great at something, be born great at it.

[VaultMarq26]

I understand now. I can't believe he did it wearing those shoes.

[thaone600]

that was great maybe the school might give him a real pair of shoes now