In her second jump of Friday’s OSAA Class 6A triple jump finals, West Linn’s Anika Sukumar hit a mark of 40 feet, 4.25 inches. It was just the second time ever the reigning Class 6A state champion hit the 40-foot mark.
McDaniel’s Maleigha Canaday-Elliott, who finished second to Sukumar last year, was stunned.
“That’s a huge jump,” Canaday-Elliot said to Sukumar after the jump.
When Sukumar said she got to 40 feet, Canaday-Elliott knew it was on.
“I was like, ‘Wow. OK.’ So I was like you can either get that 39, or you can beat it,” Canaday-Elliott said. “And obviously you’re going to try and beat it. I’m not going to settle for anything less.”
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Immediately after, Canaday-Elliott jumped a 40-6.75. The jump propelled her to winning the Class 6A state championship and is tied for second in state history (Keoma Wardford of Sunset jumped 40-6.75 in 1992). The Oregon state record in the event is 40-7.25, which was set by Benson’s Sara Callier in 2005.
“It’s huge for me,” she said. “That’s been my personal goal all year. I’ve just been trying to get out there and be consistent with this.”
Part of Friday’s victory, Canaday-Elliott admitted, was the feeling of the crowd at Hayward Field. Before her jump, Canaday-Elliott got the crowd involved with claps for her jump. She said it was the first time she’d ever done it, and it felt like the right time to start.
“I was like, I have never done claps. And you either do it or you don’t. I didn’t do it last year and I regretted it,” said Canaday-Elliott. “I did it this year. I felt so much better, because it’s like everyone’s watching you and you hear the echoes and all that good stuff.”
A junior, Canaday-Elliott is a multi-sport star at McDaniel and was a first team all-league selection for the Mountain Lions. However, her recent surge in the triple jump has led her to focus a little more time on her jumps.
“I was so happy. I’ve been trying so hard at practices to break that 40. I’ve taken time off of soccer. So I told my coach, ‘I’m not going to be here, but I’m going to break records.’”
Originally, Canaday-Elliott wanted to focus on soccer. But with her time skyrocketing her into Oregon’s record books, she said she will be keeping her mind open to either soccer or track when she eventually chooses a college.
“I like being a dual athlete,” she said. “I can go to college for whatever I choose. But right now I have more for track and I’m happy about that. Honestly, it doesn’t matter as long as I’m in sports and college. I will be happy.”
-- Nik Streng, nstreng@oregonian.com, @NikStreng
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