USATF Men’s High Jump — Wilson Derails A Trade-Off Train

TWO MEN HAD split the previous four national titles: Shelby McEwen (’22 & ’24) and JuVaughn Harrison (’21 & ’23). Neither, however, could add to their collection this time around. Instead, Nebraska’s Tyus Wilson rebounded from a disappointing NCAA showing to score an unexpected win with a dramatic clearance at 7-5¼ (2.27).

Olympic silver medalist McEwen — the only American with the WC qualifying standard of 7-7¾ (2.33) — and Harrison tied for 2nd.

Wilson and McEwen started the competition with first-attempt clearances at 6-11½ (2.12), 7-1½ (2.17) and 7-3¼ (2.22). Harrison, who passed at the opening height, also had a clean card, while NCAA champ Arvesta Troupe of Ole Miss was the only other remaining jumper in the 16-man field after managing 7-3¼ on his final attempt. Eli Kosiba, who took the silver at the World Indoor Champs earlier this year, struggled and finished tied for 13th at 6-11½.

McEwen, Harrison and Troupe missed all of their attempts at the next height, 7-5¼ (2.27), while Wilson, who won the NCAA Indoor title in March but was only 6th outdoors, slipped over on his last try.

That would be good enough for 1st. Only once previously since 2010 has the winning height been that low.

Wilson then missed three times at 7-6½ (2.30), which would have improved on the PR of 7-6 (2.29) he set while winning last year’s Big 10 meet: “It’s good to be clean. I don’t know the last time I had a competition where I made the first three bars in a row on first attempts.”

Wilson, who finished 3rd at the ’24 Trials but didn’t have the standard or rankings to make it to Paris, told Dyestat. “I prayed about being consistent. Even to have some bad jumps early on and still make them, that was a prayer unto itself.”

Neither Wilson nor Harrison has the Tokyo standard, though Harrison currently has a high enough WA ranking that he should earn a spot. Wilson plans to compete in the coming weeks to try to either get the standard or boost his ranking.

MEN’S HIGH JUMP RESULTS

(August 03)

1. Tyus Wilson (unat) 7-5¼ (2.27);

=2. JuVaughn Harrison (Pum) 7-3¼ (2.22);

=2. Shelby McEwen (Nik) 7-3¼;

4. Arvesta Troupe (Ms) 7-3¼;

5. Caleb Snowden (unat) 7-1½ (2.17);

6. Kason O’Riley (TxSt) 7-1½;

=7. Aiden Hayes (TxSt) 7-1½; =7. Charles McBride (NCSt) 7-1½; 9. Vernon Turner (adi) 7-1½; 10. Earnest Sears (NvGaz) 7-1½; =11. Brady Palen (unat) 6-11½ (2.12); =11. Kyren Washington (Ok) 6-11½; =13. Justin Lewis (unat) 6-11½; =13. Elijah Kosiba (GVal) 6-11½;… nh—Jaivon Harrison (GVal), Dontavious Hill (unat).