Men's Long Jump Analysis
1. Savanté Stringfellow.
2. Melvin Lister.
3. Dwight Phillips.
4. Erick Walder.
5. Miguel Pate.
6. Marcus Thomas.
7. Roland McGhee
8. Robert Howard.
9. Walter Davis.
10. Jamorya Funderburke.Long jumping's youth movement of collegians Stringfellow, Lister and Phillips looks set to move up to the big world stage of the Olympics. NCAA champ Stringfellow, who unabashedly claims he is the best long jumper in the U.S. right now, hit 26-101/2 for 2nd in Saturday's qualifying to barely trail leader Phillips (26-111/4). But Stringfellow is as competitive a jumper as you can get and should prevail over Phillips. The Arizona Stater jumped 26-6 or farther in his last four meets and either won for finished 2nd.
Lurking right behind the collegiate trio is veteran Walder, 6th in the '96 Trials and '97 Worlds silver medalist. While he has a load of experience in big-pressure situations, Walder hasn't enjoyed the greatest consistency this season. But he could put together a single jump which could earn him a ticket to Sydney.
Two more collegians, Pate and Thomas, have the talent to finish high; Pate sailed beyond 27 feet this year (aas well as 7-feet in the high jump and 53-plus in the triple).
Veterans McGhee and Howard both have had inconsistent years in 2000, but could threaten for a team spot if they can put everything together at the right time. Davis got a big jump to win the national JUCO title, but hasn't LJed since that mid-May effort. Funderburke got his first 26-footer of the year, with an additional half-inch added on, to advance to the finals.
/Jon Hendershott/Seasonal records of the finalists:
Dwight Phillips (AzSt) 25-6 1)Flagstaff............02/18 25-6 1)Flagstaff............02/18 25-9 1/2 1)Mtn Pac..............02/26 26-7 1/4 2)NCAA Ind.............03/10 25-7 1/2 1)Sun Angel Inv........04/15 26-1 2)Penn R...............04/28 25-6 1/4 1)Arizona USTCA........05/06 26-6 1/4w 1)Pac-10...............05/20 26-7 3/4 2)NCAA.................05/31 27-2 3/4w 1)Portland GP..........06/25 26-8 1/4 2)GMC Open.............07/01Savanté Stringfellow (Ms) 24-11 3/4 2)Jonesboro 1999.......12/05 25-2 1/2 1)Carbondale...........01/15 26-5 1)Fayetteville........0 1/22 26-3/4 1)Baton Rouge.........0 1/29 26-1 1)Houston..............02/05 26-3 1/2 2)SEC..................02/26 26-3/4 1)USATF Ind............03/04 24-9 10)NCAA Ind............03/10 26-4 1/4w 1)Texas R Uni..........04/07 26-9 1/4 1)Pomona-Pitzer Inv....04/14 27-2 3/4 2)Mt. SAC..............04/16 27-0w 1)Ole Miss Inv.........04/22 26-6 1/2 1)Penn R...............04/28 27-1/2w 2)SEC..................05/13 26-9 3/4 1)NCAA.................05/31 26-3 1/2 1)Chapel Hill OT Qual..06/18 26-10 1)GMC Open.............07/01
Miguel Pate (Al) 25-5 1/2 1)Baton Rouge..........01/15 25-7 1/2 1)Lexington...........0 1/22 25-8 1/4 ?)SEC..................02/26 25-1 1/4 8)NCAA Ind.............03/10 25-5 1/2 1)Tuscaloosa...........03/18 25-5 1/2 1)Tuscaloosa...........03/18 27-1 1/4 1)Alabama R............03/25 26-5 1/2w 3)Mt. SAC..............04/16 25-8 1/4 1)Drake R..............04/28 26-11 3)SEC..................05/13 25-6 5)NCAA.................05/31
Walter Davis (Bart) 24-11 3/4 1)Ames................0 1/21 25-4 3/4 1)Lincoln..............02/11 25-6 1/4 1)JUCO Ind.............03/03 25-0w 1)Arlington............03/25 25-7 1/4w 6)Texas R Uni..........04/07 25-10 1)Kansas R.............04/21 26-5 3/4 1)NJCAA Reg VI.........04/28 26-4 1/2w 1)JUCO.................05/12
Melvin Lister (Ar) 26-10 1)Joplin...............02/05 25-8 1/4 4)SEC..................02/26 26-8 1/2 1)NCAA Ind.............03/10 26-0w 4)Texas R Uni..........04/07 27-3 3/4 1)Mt. SAC..............04/16 25-9 1/2 3)Penn R...............04/28 27-10 1/4 1)SEC..................05/13 26-0 4)NCAA.................05/31 25-6 1/4 6)Portland GP..........06/25
Marcus Thomas (LSU) 25-2 3/4 2)Baton Rouge.........0 1/29 25-1 3/4 2)Gainesville..........02/06 25-1 3/4 2)Lincoln..............02/11 26-3 3/4 1)SEC..................02/26 25-11 1/2 4)NCAA Ind.............03/10 25-2 3/4 2)Baton Rouge..........03/25 26-1/4w 3)Texas R Uni..........04/07 26-1 1)USTCA Team Ch........04/22 25-3 1/2 4)Penn R...............04/28 26-1 1/2 4)SEC..................05/13 26-3/4 3)NCAA.................05/31
Robert Howard (Reeb) 25-8 1/4 1)Fayetteville.........02/11 25-6 1/4 4)USATF Ind............03/04 26-1 1)LSU Last Ditch.......05/19 25-6 1/4 1)Ostrava..............06/01 25-10 1/4 8)Jena.................06/03 25-2 1/2 4)Odlozil Mem..........06/05 25-3 1/4 8)Seville GP...........06/09 25-11 1/2 4)Portland GP..........06/25
Erick Walder (adi) 25-4 3/4 2)Fayetteville.........02/11 25-8 3/4 3)USATF Ind............03/04 25-8 1)Fayetteville Inv.....04/22 26-8 1/2 2)Portland GP..........06/25 26-3 1/2 3)GMC Open.............07/01
Jamorya Funderburke (Asics) 25-8 3/4 2)USATF Ind............03/04 25-4 1)Raleigh..............03/31 24-11 1/4w 2)Durham...............04/08 25-11 1/2 2)Carolina Cl..........05/13
James Stallworth (unat) 24-1/4 4)PAUSATF..............05/21
Jonathan Daniels (USAr) 25-9 1/2w 3)Houston..............03/25 25-1/2w 4)UTEP Inv.............04/15 25-6 1/4 3)Aggie A-C............05/11 25-6w 3)Chapel Hill OT Qual..06/18 25-5 1/4 7)Can High-Alt III.....07/06 26-5 1)Can High-Alt IV......07/08
Roland McGhee (Nik) 25-9 1/4w 1)Memphis..............04/01 25-10 1)Sea Ray R............04/15 26-2 3/4w 3)Fort-de-France.......04/29 26-6 1/2w 1)Knoxville............05/18 25-9 1/2w 5)Portland GP..........06/25