With a full squad back in action for the first time in two weeks, Jah-Nhai Perinchief and his Texas Tech Track & Field teammates showed they are continuing to get stronger as they are now half a month from hosting the Big 12 Championships.
Competing in the Texas Tech Shootout, Perinchief, who had not Triple Jumped since last February, turned in a monster 53 feet 9.75 inches or 16.40m leap on his second jump – a mark that lands him second in the Big 12 behind teammate Odaine Lewis.
“It was surprising to me,” Perinchief said. “I’m still eager to want to go and jump more. It’s my first time jumping in a year, since my hamstring injury. It felt smooth and felt easy. It’s the easiest I’ve felt triple jumping in my life, so I’m really happy with that. Coach Thomas is a good coach; I’ll say that.”
Perinchief said he had not practiced the triple jump at all this season. “This was my practice,” he said of the competition.
“I’ve always said to myself — I’ve never really had a season where I took triple jump fully serious — so I always said to myself, once I got into the right environment and actually start getting some reps in, I think I would jump pretty far,” he said.
“I never really limit myself. If I jump good, I’m happy. If I jump bad, ‘OK, what can we fix next to get me out to an elite level?’”
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