After missing two months of the season with an injury, Paulsboro’s Jamile Gantt placed 4th in the high jump Saturday at the NCAA Division 3 Championships in Birmingham to earn his 3rd All-America. Gantt placed 7th outdoors in 2024 and 3rd outdoors last year.
Gantt’s last meet before Saturday was the NYC Gotham Cup at Ocean Breeze on Jan. 16. But he didn’t let the layoff stop him as he cleared 6-10 ¼, matching his indoor PR from Ocean Breeze last year and the Gotham Cup in January.
Gantt was one of four Rowan high jumpers to place, giving the Profs 15 team points in one event. After the high jump, Rowan had 51 points in 3rd place.
Gantt cleared 6-6 and 6-8 on his 1st attempt, 6-9 on his 3rd and 6-10 ¼ on his 2nd. He went out at a PR 6-11 ½. Gantt set his lifetime best 6-11 at outdoor nationals last year in Geneva, Ohio.
Also for Rowan, freshman David Brown cleared 6-10 ¼ for 3rd, Noah Wampole cleared 6-9 for 6thand Arrington Rhym cleared 6-9 for 8th.
This is the first time Rowan has ever had three medalists in one event at indoor NCAAs. Outdoors, they had three medalists in the 110-meter high hurdles in 1981, with Garry Moore from Overbrook winning, Clayton Davis of Atlantic City and Leon Devero of Linden and in the steeplechase in 1984 with winner Don Deckert of Oakcrest along with Bob Rimkis of Washington Township and Lennie Hernandez of Memorial of West New York.
Rutgers-Camden freshman Jayden DeLeon of Highland placed 14th with a 6-6 clearance. Brown and DeLeon were the only freshmen who qualified.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 