Claudine Smith moved into the No. 6 spot on the all-time Rutgers indoor triple jump list in her first collegiate meet.
Smith, an Atlantic City graduate and freshman at Rutgers, won the triple jump Saturday at the TCNJ Invitational at the Armory with a jump of 39-6 1/4.
She actually hit that twice.
Her mark is No. 4 this year by a freshman in NCAA Division 1, behind Mikeisha Welcome of Oklahoma (43-9 3/4), Mara Hausler of Missouri (42-2 3/4) and Euphenie Andre, also of Missouri (40-8 3/4).
It’s also No. 6 in the Big 10.
Smith opened with a 37-7 and fouled on her second attempt. She then hit 39-6 1/4 on both her third jump of the trials and first jump of the finals. She finished with a 39-0 and a 38-9 3/4.
Sophomore teammate Zia Barr (who graduated from Teaneck High, also the alma mater of the guy writing this) placed second Saturday with a jump of 38-2 1/4, so Smith actually had the four-best jumps of the competition.
That’s only a few inches from her indoor PR of 40-1 1/2, which she actually recorded in her most recent indoor triple jump competition — New Balance Nationals last March at the same track.
Smith jumped a PR 42-2 to win the outdoors Meet of Champions last spring.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 