Jah-Nhai Perinchief competed in the Texas Tech Invitational, but Omar Craddock didn’t necessarily roll out of bed and win the Triple Jump.
Actually, Craddock came down from running a steep hill on Tuesday, stepped onto a track for the first time this year at the Sports Performance Center and performed like the three-time U.S. champion that he is.
Craddock jumped 16.97m or 55 feet, 8 1/4 inches to win a good competition with Texas Tech’s Perinchief and 2016 Olympian Clive Pullen.
Perinchief back from injury went at least 54 feet on five of his six jumps and finished second with a top leap of 16.64 or 54 feet 7 ¼ inches, Pullen was third at 54-2.
It also was the first meet of the season for Perinchief, who injured his hamstring warming up at last year’s NCAA Indoor Championships and had to be scratched from the High Jump and the Triple Jump. He then redshirted for the Outdoor Season while rehabbing the injury.
Perinchief is out of college eligibility for indoor track, so he competed unattached. The senior from Bermuda has a year of eligibility left for the outdoor season.
“It was a season-opener best,” Perinchief speaking to Don Williams from lubbockonline.com said, “so I think it was really good, especially because I had a little nick earlier so I didn’t open as early. We waited a couple of weeks, so this is my first competition.
“I think I’ll definitely be ready for outdoor.”
“He’s doing a great job,” Craddock said of Perinchief. “Brian Wellman is helping him out. He’s from Bermuda, one of the greats in the triple jump as well. He’s under some great tutelage, so I applaud it. I applaud it and I welcome it. I want it. Bring some more of it.”
Perinchief said he appreciated Craddock’s banter and had fun competing against the pros.
“Honestly, I feel like I’ve always been confident,” Perinchief said, “because from young (age) I’ve been competing against top-level people; not in triple, but in high jump. It challenges me to go out and compete even better.”
