Lumberton’s Greg Foster continued his monster weekend Saturday with the No. 14 long jump performance in U.S. scholastic history.
Foster, who broke the state record and won the triple jump at Ocean Breeze Nationals on Friday, leaped 25-4 ½ to win the long jump Saturday.
That’s No. 2 in state history, one inch behind eight-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis of Willingboro, who jumped 25-5 ½ at 1979 Easterns at Princeton’s Jadwin Gym, where Foster will be competing starting next year.
Like he did in the triple jump, Foster saved his best for last.
He opened the competition with jumps of 22-3 ½, 23-10 ¾ and 23-4 in the trials, then fouled on his first attempt of the finals before hitting 24-3 on his fifth attempt and his first 25-foot jump on his sixth.
Micah Larry of Montverde (Fla.) Academy was second with a 24-2 ½ jump on his fifth attempt.
Foster was already No. 1 in the U.S. with his 24-8 at the Mercer County Championships at the Bubble in Toms River in January.
Foster’s official high school PR before this indoor season was 21-6 at the Mid-Atlantic Prep League Championships at Peddie School this past May, although he did hit 23-6 at a summer meet at Peddie in August.
This was Foster’s first long jump competition since he won the Millrose Games at the Armory in January with a 23-5 ½.
According to the IAAF performance lists, Foster is now ranked No. 85 in the world, No. 29 among U.S. men and No. 2 on the U.S. Under-20 list and No. 3 on the World Under-20 list.
Foster is scheduled to run the 60-meter hurdles final at 5:04 p.m. Saturday.
Foster’s mark is No. 3 in meet history:
26-0 1/4 … Rayvon Grey [Beacon, N.Y.], 2016 [1]
25-7 1/4 … Ja’Mari Ward [Cahokia, Ill.], 2015 [1]
25-4 1/2 … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville, N.J.], 2022 [1]
25-3 1/4 … Marquis Dendy [Middletown, Del.],. 2011 [1]
25-0 3/4 … Nate Moore [Castro Valley, Calif.], 2014 [1]
Here’s a look at all the 25-foot indoor jumpers in U.S. history:
26-6 ½ … Dion Bentley [Penn Hills, Pittsburgh], 1989
26-2 … Jerry Proctor [Muir, Pasadena, Calif.], 1967
26-0 ¼ … Rayvon Grey [Beacon, N.Y.], 2016
25-11 ½ … Grant Holloway [Grassfield, Chesapeake, Va.], 2016
25-9 ½ … Marquis Dendy [Middletown, Del.], 2011
25-9 ¼ … Mike Newell [Potomac, Dumfries, Va.], 1998
25-7 ¾ … Marvin Forde [Uniondale, N.Y.], 1993
25-7 ¼ … Ja’Mari Ward [Cahokia, Ill.], 2015
25-6 ¾ … Christian Taylor [Sandy Creek, Tyrone, Ga.], 2008
25-5 ¾ … Keith Holley [Bayside, Virginia Beach, Va.], 1988
25-5 ¾ … Devin Fields [Lancaster, Texas], 2012
25-5 ½ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
25-5 ¼ … Eric Metcalf [Bishop O’Connell, Arlington, Va.], 1985
25-4 ½ … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville School], 2022
25-3 ¼ … Travonn White [Mountain Pointe, Phoenix, Ariz.], 2013
25-3 ¼ … Ron Dickerson [State College, Pa.], 1989
25-1 ¼ … Marquise Goodwin [Rowlett, Garland, Texas], 2009
25-0 ¾ … Nate Moore [Castro Valley, Calif.], 2014
25-0 … Kenneth Wei [Mt. Sinai, N.Y.], 2019
25-0 … Jaden Price-Whitehead [Upper Dublin, Fort Washington, Pa.],
25-0 ¼ … Robert Rands [Bellevue East, Neb.], 2005
And here’s the all-time New Jersey list:
25-5 ½ … Carl Lewis [Willingboro], 1979
25-4 ½ … Greg Foster [Lawrenceville School], 2022
24-6 ¼ … Gerard Reynolds [Willingboro], 1990
24-3 3/4 … Hanif Kendrick [Franklin]. 2007
24-3 1/4 … Kaelen Mitchell [Piscataway], 2021
24-2 ½ … Isaac Samuels [Kennedy], 1983
24-0 ¾ … Mike Morrison [Willingboro], 2003
24-0 1/4 … Justes Nance [Blair Academy], 2016
24-0 ½ … William Spearmon [Wilson], 1996
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 