Arkansas’ Wayne Pinnock, a three-time NCAA champion, made an impressive outdoor debut at the LSU Invitational, recording a blistering long jump of 27 feet, 8.25 inches (8.44 meters) aided by a wind of 5.8 meters per second at Bernie Moore Stadium over the weekend.
The jump propelled Pinnock to No. 8 on the collegiate all-conditions all-time list, establishing him as a leading contender in the event.
For his efforts, the Jamaican World Athletics Championships silver medalist was named the SEC Field Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, April 30. The former Tennessee athlete, making his first appearance since winning the long jump title at the 2024 NCAA Indoor Championships in March, was consistent throughout the competition, despite the tricky windy conditions.
Pinnock started strongly with a leap of 8.15 meters in the opening jump, albeit a massive following wind of 7.1 m/s, and he continued to impress.
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In the third round, the 23-year-old achieved his best mark of the day at 8.44m with a 5.8 m/s wind. Facing a more modest 2.3 m/s wind in the third round, Pinnock soared to a distance of 8.25m, a mark which meets both the NCAA West first-round qualifying standards and wind reading up to 4.0 m/s.
Pinnock won three NCAA national title in the men’s long jump, twice in the 2022 season representing the Tennessee Vols, and most recently as an Arkansas athlete at the Indoor national championships. His winning effort at the the indoor championships was an impressive 8.40m, which was a world-leading mark and Jamaica national indoor record.
In 2018, the World Junior Championships bronze medalist won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships last summer with a leap of 8.50m. This mark was second only to his personal best of 8.54m, achieved during the qualifying round.
Australia’s Chris Mitrevski leads the 2024 world list of jumpers with a wind-legal mark of 8.32m, set during the national championships held in Adelaide on April 14.
