[Updated 5/7/17 6:30pm]
This afternoon Jyles Etienne defended his St. Anthony’s Invitational high jump crown in a big way.
The Indiana University-bound senior soared above 7′ 2.5″ to shatter the Suffolk County indoor record of 7′ 0.25″ set this past winter by Smithtown East’s Daniel Claxton. Because the event was held inside St. Anthony’s indoor facility due to inclement weather, the jump counts against indoor marks; therefore, in an interesting wrinkle, Etienne is the owner of the Suffolk indoor record despite playing basketball in lieu of indoor track during his three-year Stony Brook career. He is also the holder of the Suffolk outdoor mark thanks to his 7′ 1.75″ leap at the CARIFTA Game Trials on April 1.
Etienne’s jump is the #2 indoor leap in New York State history, behind Albany Academy’s Dan Olson who cleared 7′ 4″ in 2000. This is the first time Etienne has cleared 7-feet stateside, having done it twice in the Bahamas. Had Etienne been a Hoosier this past March, competing in the NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships, he’d have tied for 5th place in a field of 16 jumpers.
St. Anthony’s Invitational Top 5 Results
| 1. | Jyles Etienne | Stony Brook | 7′ 2.5″ |
| 2. | Daniel Claxton | Smithtown East | 6′ 10″ |
| 3. | Nakia Williams | Southampton | 6′ 4″ |
| 4. | Connor Pallman | Sachem North | 6′ 2″ |
| 5. | Calvin Schmalzle | Shoreham-Wading River | 6′ 2″ (J) |
MileSplit NY, one of the sport’s foremost authorities, confirmed this evening that the jump counts toward the indoor marks this season, meaning Jyles is now the #1 indoor high jumper in America for 2016-17. He is also tied for the #4 World under-20 indoor mark.
Etienne was named the meet’s top performer, joining Taylor Colucci as the only two Brookers to earn that distinction at one of Long Island’s top meets. Colucci earned the honor in 2012 after winning the 100 (11.05) and 200 meter (22.26) crowns.
U.S. Indoor High Jump Rankings Top 5
| 1. | Jyles Etienne | Stony Brook, NY | 7′ 2.5″ |
| 2. | Nathan Patterson | Plymouth, IN | 7′ 1″ |
| 3. | JuVaughn Blake | Columbia, AL | 7′ 0.25″ |
| 3. | Daniel Claxton | Nesconset, NY | 7′ 0.25″ |
| 3. | Jakobe Ford | Shadle Park, WA | 7′ 0.25″ |
| 3. | Rahman Minor | Pike, IN | 7′ 0.25″ |
World Under 20 Indoor High Jump Rankings Top 5
| 1. | Lucas Mihota | Germany | 7′ 3.75″ |
| 2. | Darius Carbin | USA (University of Georgia) | 7′ 3.25″ |
| 3. | Justice Summerset | USA (University of Arizona) | 7′ 3″ |
| 4. | Jyles Etienne | USA (HS) | 7′ 2.5″ |
| 4. | Metin Dogu | Turkey | 7′ 2.5″ |
| 4. | Maksim Nedasekau | Belarus | 7′ 2.5″ |
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