From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Rowan had a 24-foot long jumper this weekend and it wasn’t 2026 indoor national leader Anthony Parker from Salem, and it wasn’t 2026 indoor All-America Bright John of Sterling.

Rowan’s 3rd 24-foot long jumper this year is freshman Christopher Ross from Walkill Valley High School in Hardyston Township in Sussex County.

In his first outdoor college meet at the Ursinus Springfest Saturday in Collegeville, Ross leaped 24-1, the No. 3 jump so far this outdoor season in NCAA Division 3.

His previous wind-legal PR was 22-2 ½ at the Ott Center last month, although he did jump 22-10 ¾ (with no wind guage) in the 2023 Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex county meet in Vernon Township. His best high school jump that was wind-legal was a 22-1 at 2023 West Philly Nationals.

Ross did not compete at all in 2024 or 2025 – looks like he was at Penn State during some of that time but never competed in a meet – before resurfacing with full eligibility at Rowan this past winter.

But that 24-1 was no fluke. Ross had a huge series, with a 23-3, 23-10, 23-0, 24-1 and 23-10 ½ before finishing with a foul. So he had the five-best jumps of his life in one meet, averaging 23-7 ¼ on his five legal jumps.

So his average jump was 16 ¾ inches beyond his previous legal PR.

Parker has been hurt and hasn’t competed since the AARTFC Championships at the Armory the first week of March, although he’s getting close. He jumped 25-0, No. 16 in D-3 history indoors, at Ocean Breeze in February. Sterling’s John, 5th at D-3 Nationals, jumped a legal 23-8 ¾ Saturday at a meet in Daytona Beach, Fla., and he’s now No. 5 in Division 3. Junior Damarion Potts from South Brunswick hit 23-5 ¼ wind-aided in Daytona (and had a legal 22-6 ½) and junior Josiah Williams from Mainland Regional jumped a PR 22-11 ¾ at Ursinus. Senior Chace Pearson from Timber Creek PR’d at 22-7 at Ursinus.

So Rowan has five long jumpers over 22-7 so far this spring and none of them are Parker, the top jumper in Division 3 indoors. Ross, John and Potts are ranked 3rd, 5th and 9th so far in Division 3.