Orji & Moore use Armory as launch pad in long jump

Judging from the numbers registered during Saturday’s long jump finals, the runway at The Armory served as a pretty decent launch pad.

Nathaniel Moore of Fremont, Calif., added more than a foot to his season best, securing a boys’ indoor national title and his new position as US#1 with a leap of 25 feet, 0.75 inches.

“I have trouble getting up in the air sometimes,” Moore said. “Earlier this year at the Simplot Games, I had a hard time getting up in the air for some reason. Today, I got the bounce I needed to put a long jump out there.”

Fourth of eight competitors getting three more jumps in the final, Moore immediately grabbed the lead in round 4 with a 24-5. The rest of the finalists also weren’t resting on their laurels as Andrew Bolze of Hingham, Mass., spanned 24-3 in the same round to move into second.

“I didn’t really make any adjustments, just kept on pushing down the runway,” Moore said of the difference for him with his big jumps in the finals. “Kept shooting my mechanics and doing what I had to do.”

Moore kept the pressure on the field, hitting the eventual winner in the next round.

“I just came out, I wanted to really perform,” Moore said. “I know it’s a big stage.

“I got the clap going for the first time at the event. It just might be it that propelled me to that jump. It was a good jump, a really good jump.”

The winner said walking away with the national championship and a 25-footer has him looking forward to the upcoming outdoor season.

“I really believe in my ability,” said Moore, who entered the meet ranked No. 3 in the country. “I really believe I can jump whatever I need to at any certain time.

“(The winning distance) was a surprise because I am only going from half an approach right now. When I move my approach back, I don’t know what I am going to do. It’s going to be some big things so I am excited.”

Fellow Californian Adoree Jackson was second after the prelims and moved back into that spot for good with a US#3 24-4.5 in the final round. Bolze also went long in the final round, leaping a US#4 24-3.75 for third place. Isaiah Moore of Burlingtin, N.C., was the leader heading into the finals with a jump of 23-11.75, and he became US#5 24-1.75 in round 5 to finish fourth.

In the girls competition, national leader Keturah Orji secured the first half of a predicted long jump/triple jump double, taking the lead in the second round and never giving up the top spot.

“I was happy after I got it because I knew that was one of the bigger jumps and other people can’t jump as far,” Orji said of her second-round leap of 20-4. “Also, I was in for 21 today and I didn’t get it … again. So I’m really disappointed.”

In the finals, Orji was looking for her 21-footer but immediately registered two fouls instead.

“I was disappointed that they were fouls because I was pretty sure that they were bigger jumps,” she said.

All was not lost, however, as she responded with her winning leap of 20-5.25 on the final jump of the competition.

“I was hoping that (another top jumper) would be here to push me, but she wasn’t so I had to push myself,” Orji said. “I do a lot better when I have someone else to push me.

Junior Kate Hall of Maine came through in the final round to pick up the silver medal, covering a US#3 19-11.5. Mia Barron of St. Louis Park, Minn., also had her best jump on her last trip down the runway, moving to US#4 at 19-8.25. The top seven jumped 19 feet or better.

Championship Boys Long Jump (View Official Results)