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Sandiford jumps at Penns.
Desmond Palmer photo
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Oneil Sandiford, a junior at Paul Robeson High School in Brooklyn, New York, was one of the true shining stars at the 116th Penn Relays in Philadelphia over the weekend.
The very tall, lanky teen, whose parents are from the Caribbean island of Barbados, jumped his way to a personal best of 6’-11.5” to win the High School Boys’ High Jump Championship.
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Oneil Sandison flanked by his coach, Jason Millison (left) and Bill Cosby.
Anthony Gayle photo
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Sandiford said he felt very confident and relaxed as he approached his jumps, even though at one stage he got very scared when he missed two of his jumps. He explained that after his first jump, he left to use the bathroom and when he returned his legs were “pretty cold.” “However, my coach [Jason Mollison] told me to keep moving around, which I did.”
He noted that during his training this season, he had been consistently jumping over 6’-11” and has been flirting with 7ft. He has identified his strength as the major obstacle preventing him from clearing that height. “I’m not strong enough; I need to get stronger,” he said.
Going forward, the young champion has set himself two goals: to improve his academic average, now in the 80s, to the 90s and to jump over 7ft.
As for his experience at the weekend relay carnival, Sandiford said meeting and sharing the stage with Bill Cosby “was definitely one of the biggest highlights for me here at Penns.”