Stockton junior Ahmad Fogg from Egg Harbor Township soared within an inch of a national title on his final attempt and settled for a remarkable 2nd-place finish and All-America honors in the long jump at the NCAA Division 3 Championships Friday in Birmingham.
Fogg jumped 24-0 ¾ on his 3rd attempt to move into the lead, then got bumped into 2nd when Joshua Rivers went 24-6 ¼ on his 4th jump. Fogg again came close to the lead when he hit 24-4 ¼ on his 5th jump and then sailed 24-5 ¾ on his final attempt. Rivers added a quarter of an inch on the last jump of the competition, winning at 24-6 ½.
Fogg, who still has the triple jump Saturday, is Stockton’s 9th men’s indoor All-America and 3rd in the long jump. Shawnee’s Greg Foster won the 1988 D-3 long jump title for Stockton and Jared Lewis of Deptford placed 8th in 2016. Foster and Lewis both also won the triple jump.
This was Fogg’s first trip to NCAAs and first All-America honor.
Fogg opened with a 23-0 and 23-7 ½ before his 24-0 ¾ on his final jump of the trials. He went 23-6, 24-4 ¼ and 24-5 ¾ in the finals.
Rivers and Fogg had the only six 24-foot jumps of the competition.
Rowan freshman Bright John from Sterling earned All-merica honors in his first NCAA meet with a 23-2 ¾ on his 4th jump for 6th place. He was the only freshman in the top six.
Rowan freshman Anthony Parker from Salem, the No. 2 seed at 25-0, was a surprise non-starter.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 