Louisiana's Ken Hall produces "Beamonesque" Triple Jump Performance in USATF Nat'l JO Meet in Eugene

Doug Speck

Ken Hall - Basic 56-foot Triple Jumping - Photo Album of his USATF JO Jumping!!

After a couple of days of multi-events and some distance events, Ken Hall of Louisiana, who just finished his eleventh grade year at Tara HS in Baton Rouge provided a stunning start to the regular portion of the affair on Day 3, July 29th, with a performance in the Young Men's Triple Jump that could only be described as "Beamonesque!" For those of you who need a bit of a history lesson (including Hall, who had not heard of him), Bob Beamon was the one who skipped the 28 foot barrier and took the World LJ record from the 27's to the 29 foot range in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City in one of history's most shocking individual efforts in the sport. Ken Hall was in that same league today, with Mike Kennedy, one of the Prep Editors at Track and Field News stating that it was the most impressive prep field event performance by a prep since Michael Carter's 81 foot Shot Put back in 1979. Jack Shepard, Boys HS Editor of T&F News, when called, indicated it was US Prep History's #2 Field Event mark ever after Carter's 81-03.5 SP. Yours truly was there and saw Michael's Shot Put effort, and you had the same, almost helpless feeling that comes from a performance that seems absolutely out of this world, taking what before was considered excellence and basically heaving that out the window!

Keep in mind that Hall is an eleventh grader, and the best previous ever Triple Jump by a high-schooler was 53-11.5 by Michael Yeldell of North Rowan, Spencer, NC, from 1998 at the World Junior Championships in France. Hall's personal best was 51-8.75 in winning the Louisiana 5A Meet (we'll get to his explanation for an over four foot improvement later)! With a huge event here that involved nearly forty athletes divided into three different flights, Hall first warmed up, then had to wait through two lengthy groups who all took their first three jumps before he had to run-through again, and get ready to go. This made his jumping that much more impressive (they did shut the event down three times to bring in a steel tape to measure Hall's herculean efforts, dragging his time of concentration out even further this afternoon)! Hall's constant "going to the well" and drawing more emotionally and physically was as impressive a human athletic effort as we have ever observed. A super knowledgeable Triple Jump crowd sat in the shade on the Hayward Field backstretch cheering the efforts of the fine field and clapping in unison as the competitors stood at the head of the runway. The day in the high 80's with breezes was just about perfect - winds a bit over the allowable on some of the jumps but again, near perfect!

Jumping last in the third flight, Hall's first effort this day was a lengthy foot foul, with the USA uniform-clad star (there is a story to that uniform), perking mightily the attention of the backstretch crowd. It took 48 feet to make the finals, and those in the area recognized quality jumping, with this a special crew of bounding artists today! On his second effort Hall moved past all in the field way out into never-never land, with a 16.69m effort (54-09.25) with a wind of 4.7 meters per second behind him, a wind-aided effort! This left the fine field over four feet behind, and left all the officials in the pit area absolutely stunned with this explosion. The previous Young Men's Divisional wind-legal record was 16.01 (52-06.5) by Ron Jones from Texas back in 1991. Hall's intensity, power, and grace was unreal!! As one competitor remarked after that effort, "We are all jumping for second now."

Ken was not done, as after the steel tape measurement and the rest of the final flight took their efforts, Hall blasted a 16.72 (54-10.25) on his third jump with the wind +1.7 mps, legal, adding nearly a foot to the National High School record there. It was just short of the American (under age 20) record of 55-02 (16.81) by Greg Neal (University of Tennessee) 1982 at altitude-assisted Provo Utah. After leaving the crowd gasping once again, stopping for the steel tape measurement, and allowing those in the first two flights to warm up for the finals (three flights combined top eight to finals), everyone obviously was glued to the Louisianans fourth effort. Never letting anyone down this day, Hall absolutely soared, leaving the crowd gasping as he seemed far beyond the day's efforts so far. The measurement this time, a stunning 17.13 (56-02.5), with the wind +4.6 mps, a wind-aided effort. Ken's reactions to the jumps seemed impressively mild, understanding that something huge had happened, but leaving himself something emotionally for the jumps still left in the competition. Hall was 15.70 (51-6.25) wind +2.5 on his fifth effort, with a fine 16.29 (53-05.5) wind legal (1.7 mps) on his final effort. The announcer, who had concentrated on running events, brought the crowd's attention to Hall for his final three efforts, with all in the stadium watching the USA uniform clad star in his finals efforts.

When we caught up with the eighteen year old Ken shortly after the event was over we were impressed with his relaxed, calm nature. This is an assured young man whose explosive efforts on the runway and pit seem in direct opposition to his less than attention demanding demeanor. Guess he's the kind who lets his actions do his talking!! When asked what it felt to have a new National Record with one of US prep history's greatest perfomances ever, he replied, "I do not think that it has really sunk in yet. It feels great, but I think I will appreciate it more a bit later." He indicated his previous best was in the mid-51's in winning the state meet, and when he was asked why the huge improvement since that time he pointed to some very rigorous sessions in the weight room this summer (check out his definition on some of the pictures on the above linked album). He will be a senior at Tara HS in Baton Rouge, Louisiana next year. He also plays football, and has been a four year starter and All-District in that sport. He has also been a three year starter for his school's basketball team. When asked about eventual goals in the sport he replied, "Over the next four years I would like to work on preparing for competition in the Olympic Trials in 2008." He stated he has jumped 24-08 in the Long Jump and will compete in that event here this week also. When asked about colleges he would like to consider attending, he came back with, "LSU, University of Tennessee, and University of Texas." He indicated that his father played basketball in high school, his mother did not have an athletic background. He said that he used to spend a great deal of time with a cousin while in middle school who was a football player, and he started in football to be like him. He added Track and Basketball because he wanted to cover more activities athletically. He has been competing in Track since the seventh grade. He was second in the Junior Nationals in June in College Station, Texas, but had to turn down the trip to the World Junior Championships in Italy due to the need to attend summer school (where we assume he picked up the USA Uniform he wore this day). Ken was sure to give credit to his two coaches, Coach Tracy Landry at Tara HS and Trent Ellis of the Future Track Club, both of whom he claims have added to his understanding of the technique in the Triple Jump event.

All who observed left the stadium with a bit more reverence for this great sport of ours after observing Ken Hall's efforts this day. Just when you seem to put some limits on what is excellence in an activity someone comes along and bashes down the door leaving you shaking your head. Sometimes you go years before there is such an effort, but the human capacity is truly amazing. Here in a championship setting with unquestioned measured results Ken Hall's spirit and effort was just so much bigger than life it left all who observed it quite stunned. Keep going to track meets and you will sometimes see the same--we have a saying, "the kids never let you down on the track and in the field." This was one of those days with the possibility of more in the future having us travel all over the place (set a record with 13 hour drive to Eugene from home this particular week - as we left today I said, "yep, that made the whole drive worthwhile and there's three days to go!").