KINGSTON, Jamaica – Carey McLeod equalled the Jamaican national men’s indoor long jump record of 8.40m after he came from fourth place on the final attempt to win the event at the NCAA Division indoor track and field championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday night.

McLeod, of the University of Arkansas, who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in both the long and triple jump, equalled the mark set by James Beckford in Madrid, Spain in 1996 and beat his previous best of 8.26m set in Arkansas in 2021.

Friday’s jump was also a college-leading and facility record, and completed a brilliant competition where all eight finalists achieved life time best marks.

McLeod was second last year while competing for the University of Tennessee, where he was beaten by then-teammate and compatriot Wayne Pinnock.

Pinnock, who is also at Arkansas, was fourth on Friday with a personal best 8.33m, which he jumped twice, beating his previous best of 8.31m.

Pinnock led from the third round but was passed by Cameron Crump of Mississippi State who had beaten him at the SEC indoor championships.

But McLeod produced his best in the final round to snatch the victory.

A third Jamaican, Nikaoli Williams, of the University of Oklahoma was 11th with 7.79m.

Meanwhile, 800m runners Tarees Rhoden of Clemson- 1:47.84 seconds and Navasky Anderson- 1:49.67 seconds are through to Saturday’s final after Friday’s preliminaries.

JeVaughn Powell of the University of Florida was 12th overall in the 400m after running 46.04 seconds, Demar Francis of Baylor ran 20.66 seconds for 11th in the men’s 200m while Brithon Senior of the University of Nebraska failed to finish the men’s 60m hurdles.

– Paul A Reid