EUGENE — Quanesha Burks knew her first jump was a big one before she hit the ground.
Her focus was completely on running down the runway and getting into the air on time. She was still in the air when she heard a “WHOA” from the crowd Thursday at Hayward Field. Once she was in the sand, she started looking for her official distance.
The screen behind the long jump area finally showed it: 23 feet, 2 inches (7.06 meters), a new personal best.
“I knew that I was capable of doing it, just with how training has been going,” Burks said. “I didn’t think it’d be the first one.”
It wasn’t just the crowd that was happy for Burks, though. Sydney Conley, Burks’ best friend and a competitor, was waiting for her with a hug as the latter made her way back to the bench.
“We’ve always been talking about 7 meters,” Burks said. “She believes in me as much as I believe in myself.”
That first jump ended up being all Burks needed for a first-place finish. Burks and her competitors kept jumping, but none came within 10 inches of that first jump. As of Thursday, Burks is ranked No. 8 in the world, according to World Athletics.
Second and third place went to Jasmine Moore and Tiffany Flynn, with distances of 22-3¾ and 21-11½, respectively. USA Track & Field will name its women’s long jump team for the 2022 World Athletics Championships on July 5, a USATF spokesperson said.
Tara Davis, ranked No. 6 in the world, fouled on all three of her attempts Thursday. On her final attempt, Davis’ head whipped over her right shoulder just as she landed in the sandpit, looking for the official’s flag.
Once the attempt was confirmed as a foul, Davis turned back and threw her fist into the sand.
But Davis didn’t let that moment of frustration last. Leaping to her feet, she walked out onto the track and faced the crowd to a wave of applause. She raised her hands and smiled back, waving to the crowd. Her new goal: heading home and lying down for some rest.
“I’m just lucky to be out here,” Davis said. “I’m not sure what my future holds for track meets during the season, so whatever happens, happens.”
There’s a significant amount of downtime between jumps for athletes, and former University of Oregon athlete Jasmine Todd likes to use that time to relax. On Thursday, she swayed and leapt to the beat of “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa as the song boomed through the stadium’s sound system.
Much like Davis, Todd’s first two attempts ended in fouls. Her third, a jump of 20-3¾, wasn’t enough to make the final round. But Todd’s season is far from over. She’ll continue competing in meets, but she’ll also be working as a member of the media for the World Athletics Championships in July.
Todd won’t be competing in Eugene, but said she’s excited for the opportunity to tell the stories of athletes who will take the field in July.
“I think that we get so focused on one, two or three athletes that are just at the top and you hear the same stories over and over again,” Todd said. “What about places four through eight?”
Rhesa Foster, another former Oregon athlete, finished in 11th place with a jump of 20-7.
— Luke Norton; lnorton@oregonian.com
