Floyd Whitaker was listed as a senior last year when he placed 2nd in the triple jump at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, so we assumed his college career was over. But he’s back at Oklahoma and has taken his rightful spot once again among the top collegiate triple jumpers and top American jumpers.
Whitaker, a Highland graduate and Minnesota transfer, has jumped at least 53-8 in three of his four meets so far, including an indoor PR 53-9 ¾ in a meet in Norman, Olka.
That makes him No. 13 in the world this year and tied for No. 1 among Americans with teammate and 2024 outdoor NCAA champion Brandon Green, who jumped 53-9 ¾ in the same meet Whitaker did.
The 53-9 ¾ is an indoor PR for Whitaker, topping his previous mark of 52-3 ¼, which he hit in Lubbock in February 2024 and again last January in Norman.
It’s also just half an inch from his lifetime-best 53-10 ¼ from his 2nd-place finish at NCAAs in June.
He finished 2nd at nationals to Green, who has the indoor school record with his 55-3 ½ at SECs last February in College Station.
Whitaker competed indoors in 2022 for Minnesota and in 2023, 2024 and 2025 for Oklahoma, but he only competed in one indoor meet as a true freshman – the Jack Johnson Classic, which he won at 51-5 ½ – and he’s listed as competing unattatched in that meet, so that apparently gave him this year of indoor eligibiity.
Whitaker competed outdoors in 2022 for Minnesota but did not compete at all outdoors in 2023 before resurfacing in Norman for 2024 indoors. So it looks like he used outdoor eligibility seasons in 2022, 2024 and 2025, which should afford him one more year outdoors this spring.
Whitaker’s 53-10 ¼ is the best jump ever by South Jersey athlete, topping a 53-6 ½ by Shawnee graduate Greg Foster Sr. in Flagstaff, Ariz., in May 1988. It’ 3rd among New Jersey jumpers, behind Norm Tate of East Orange, who jumped 54-9 ½ in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1970, and Piscataways Eric Bethea, who jumped 54-7 ½ in Austin in 2019.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 