Boys Jumps
Devin could be King of the PV

By Steve Underwood

Pole Vault
Team USA Meet History:  In 2005, Californian Scott Roth barely lost on misses here while tying the meet record with 17-2.75.  His silver remains the apex of Team USA PV finishes, though Jacob Blankenship OH made it to bronze in 2011.  Also, in 2007, a German exchange student who prepped at Los Gatos CA, Nico Weiler, won the gold for his home country.

Team USA Roster (HS, Grad Yr, hometown)
Devin King, Sumner LA, 2014 (Kentwood, L.A.)
Paolo Benavides, EP Franklin TX, 2015 (El Paso, Texas)

IAAF World List (rank among WYC entries when diff. than list #)
1. 17-3.5, Hussein Assem Al-Hazim, KSA
2 (1). 17-3, Devin King, USA
3 (2). 17-0.75, Harry Coppell, GBR
4. 16-10.75, Barrett Poth, USA
4 (3). 16-10.75, Bokai Huang, CHN
6. 16-5.5, Harrison Williams, USA
6 (4). 16-5.5, Alioune Sene, FRA
...
9 (5). 16-5.25, Luigi Colella, ITA
...
16 (11). Paulo Benavides, USA
(italicized not entered in WYC)

Team USA Hopes/Preview:  With world leader Al-Hazim not entered, the Team USA’s King is the favorite – and with a few inches to spare – with his 17-3 PR.  King cleared just 16-2.75 at the Trials in high heat and tough winds, but with three meets over 17 feet in 2013 and just one outdoor loss, his consistency says he has what it take to become the first U.S. champ in this event.  And don’t discount the fast-rising Benavides, either.  He has a 16-6 from a USATF Assn. meet that hasn’t made the IAAF list and puts him in the top 4 entries.  This is indeed a good year for USA Youth boys’ vaulters, especially given that there’s a handful in the 16s that didn’t even make it to the Trials.


High Jump
Team USA Meet History:  Justin Fondren’s bronze in 2011 marked the first Team USA boys’ HJ medal at the WYC.  Previously, the top finishes had been David Smith GA 7th in 2009 and Donte Nall 9th in 2005.

Team USA Roster (HS, Grad Yr, hometown)
Michael Monroe, Providence Catholic IL, 2014 (Manhattan, Ill.)

IAAF World List (rank among WYC entries when diff. than list #)
1. 7-3, Randall Cunningham Jr., USA
2 (1). 7-2.25, Christoff Bryan, JAM
3 (2). 7-1.75, Sanghyeok Woo, KOR
4 (3). 7-1, Jiaxu Bai, CNH
4 (3). 7-1, Petr Picha, CZE
6 (5). 7-0.5, Joel Baden, AUS
...
18 (13). 6-10.75, Mike Monroe, USA
(italicized not entered in WYC)

Team USA Hopes/Preview:  U.S. high jump fans can hardly help but lament that the world #1 and Bishop Gorman NV jr Randall Cunningham, Jr. were here to possibly produce the first American gold in meet history.  But as he did not contest the Trials, 2-time Penn Relays champ Christoff Bryan of Jamaica will be the favorite – though there are plenty of other 7-footers to challenge him.  A PR-matching effort for American entry Monroe could get him into the final and perhaps higher.


Long Jump
Team USA Meet History:  This is another event where one would presume Team USA would have multiple medals.  But there’s just one: the bronze Christian Taylor GA earned in 2007 to go with his TJ gold.  Three others have made 9th or better, led by Leon Samuels’ 6th-place finish in 2009.

Team USA Roster (HS, Grad Yr, hometown)
Isaiah Moore, Cummings NC, 2014 (Burlington, N.C.)

IAAF World List (rank among WYC entries when diff. than list #)
1. 26-1, Jianan Wang, CHN
2 (1). 25-11, Anatoliy Ryapolov, RUS
3. 25-1.75, Samory Fraga, BRA
4 (2). 25-0.5, Maxim Yunyakin, RUS
5. 24-11.75, Nate Moore, USA
6 (3). 24-9.75, Peifeng Zhong, CHN
7 (5). 24-9, Henry Smith, AUS
8 (4). 24-7.75, Yaoqing Fang, CHN (25-2.5 in ’12)
...
-- (22). 23-10, Isaiah Moore, USA
(italicized not entered in WYC)

Team USA Hopes/Preview:  It looks as if it’s going to be a battle between the Chinese and the Russians.  Though world leader Wang is not entered for China, two others who’ve done 24-9 or better are.  Russian counters with two that are even better, including world #2 Ryapolov who’s jumped nearly 26 feet.  While Team USA’s Moore is well back on the list, he’s consistent in the high 23s and should be competitive if he can get in the final.  He’s also entered in the 110 hurdles.


Triple Jump
Team USA Meet History:  One of the huge Youth to Olympian success stories is Christian Taylor, who took gold for Team USA in this meet in 2007 and now is reigning World (Sr.) and Olympic champ.  His is the only American medal to date in the TJ, however, with the next best effort being 6th by Allen Simms in 1999, and 8th by Bryce Lamb behind Taylor in 2009.

Team USA Roster (HS, Grad Yr, hometown)
Keandre Bates, EP Burges TX, 2014 (El Paso, Texas)

IAAF World List (rank among WYC entries when diff. than list #)
1. 54-2.75, Lazaro Martinez, CUB
2. 53-6.25, Yaoqing Fang, CHN
3. 51-3.5, Dimitri Antonov, GER
4. 51-0.25, O’Brien Waysome, JAM
5. 50-11.5, Nate Moore, USA
6 (5). 50-8.75, Fabian Ime Edoki, NGR
...
17 (13). 50-2.5, KeAndre Bates, USA
(italicized not entered in WYC)

Team USA Hopes/Preview:  Bates has a good chance to make the final and, if he could get closer to 51 feet, perhaps battle for the bronze.  But it’s unfortunate that world #5 Moore didn’t come to Edwardsville to try and join him on Team USA.  It’s hard to imagine anyone breaking up the top two entries, over 53 and 54 feet, respectively.  Cuba was a force in this event for its first four stagings, with two golds and five medals overall, and Martinez could add to that legacy.