This lineup is from Regionals my senior year:
(My name is red, in 1st)
Event 19 Girls Triple Jump Division 1
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Name Year School Seed Mark
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Flight 1 Finals
1 Jamie Wall SO DeForest 28-06.00
2 Emily Heck SO Madison East 29-00.00
3 Emily Gamm SO Waunakee 31-01.00
4 Jaci Vanden Brook JR Waunakee 31-11.00
5 Sam Scheel SO Waunakee 32-02.00
6 Darcy Dean SO Middleton 32-03.00
7 Briana Kernen SR Sun Prairie 32-06.00
8 Elena Thompson SO Middleton 32-07.00
9 Jessica Maiers JR DeForest 32-10.00
10 Shannon McCauley SO Middleton 33-07.00
11 Cierra Hotchkiss FR Madison La F 33-11.00
12 KeKe Burks JR Madison La F 34-00.00
13 Leigha Hodge JR Madison La F 34-11.00
14 Marta Pardee SR Madison Memo 35-06.00
When I tell people I do triple jump, the reaction is usually something along the lines of "oh....so what...that's just like...3 jumps...er...?". So I decided to share with the world the magicallity that is triple jump. And yes, "magicallity" is indeed a word, or at least it is now. Yes, the triple jump is three "jumps", but it's really defined as a hop, step, and a jump. The approach for a triple jump should be relatively the same distance as your long jump approach, maybe a little shorter. Unlike in long jump, you don't necessarily want to be bolting up to the board at top speed. Don't get me wrong, you want to be going basically as fast as you can, but it's a more controlled run than a long jump approach. Your first jump should not be too high, or you will kill your momentum for the rest of the jump. Once you have left the ground, you want your jumping leg to cycle around, basically kicking your butt, before it hits the ground to take off for your second jump. This will keep your first jump more controlled, and it will help your foot to be flat for your landing. Now, when you're in the air on your first jump, your non-jumping leg should be kicked back almost straight so that when you transition into your second jump, or step, you will have more momentum by swinging your leg forwards all the way until your knee is parallel with the ground. After your second time taking off the jumping leg, you will switch your landing/jumping leg, and jump as high and as far as you possibly can, with what speed you have left, into the pit. The goal is to make all three phases fairly equal, with your third phase being your largest. The hardest part for most triple jumpers is getting the second phase to be longer. It takes a lot of practice and conscious thought in order to improve the second phase. The jump is measured from the take-off board, to the furthest back dent of where your feet land in the sand.
If you'd like to see me doing a triple jump, go to 00:34 of this video (click here) of my sectionals (where I placed 1st...by over a foot).
