American Record: Jackie Joyner-Kersee, 24-7
2007 U.S. Champion: Grace Upshaw, 22-1.5
2004 Olympic Trials Champion: Marion Jones, 23-4
Top 5 Seed Times
1.) Brittney Reese, 22-9
2.) Funmilayo Jimoh, 22-8
3.) Akiba McKinney, 22-4
4.) Lela Nelson, 22-2
5.) Grace Upshaw, 22-0
Brittney Reese is only 21 years old, but she’s got the world on notice. Currently, the Ole Miss jumper holds the second-farthest mark in the world this year, jumped in mid-April in Baton Rouge, La. Last summer was her breakout season, making the 2007 world outdoor championships final. It’s no surprise that she was the SEC women’s field athlete of the year. But forget about her world-worthy jumps and remember that when she’s done her achievements in the last two years after not competing in track while at Gulf Coast Community College, where she played basketball.
For almost a month though, Funmi Jimoh was the one who led the U.S., leaping her second-seeded 22-8 in late March.
Grace Upshaw, 33, is the elder stateswoman of the long jump, but still has a chance to make her second Olympic team. She has U.S. outdoor titles from 2003, 2005 and 2007, upsetting Reese on her final jump.
At the 2004 Olympic Trials, Akiba McKinney was third with a jump of 21-6.75. She won consecutive indoor titles in 2006 and 2007.
Lela Nelson started out her indoor season strong with a win against Olympic and world champion Carolina Kluft of Sweden during January’s Boston Indoor Games. She has the 16th-ranked mark in the U.S. this year.