Staten Island, NY - It's taken over ten years since the last time we saw one. Rubin Owens (LeRoy) came closest in 2014, but was still an inch and a half short. For the Sophomore State Record Holder, it would take another two years to hit another historical milestone.
On Saturday afternoon, facing off against US #2 Kyle Garland (Germantown Academy, PA), Dan Claxton (Smithtown East) cleared 7-feet in the High Jump. It was a lifetime best for the Long Island senior, who is chasing the Long Island record of 7-2 from 1991. Claxton is the defending Indoor State Champion, making the best of his first-ever visit to the Ocean Breeze Track & Field Facility, which will host the 2017 Indoor State Championships for the first time.
The last time anyone has cleared 7-feet was in 2005, where James Blocker of the now defunct August Martin HS cleared the same height. Only the State Record was higher in the 2000's, where unlike many of the other State Records, the top performances All-Time are from the late 70's to early 80's. Claxton has goals of repeating as State Champion, a rare feat in the High Jump, as well as vying for the Indoor National Title.
Dan Claxton's Indoor Lifetime Progression
Staten Island, NY - It's taken over ten years since the last time we saw one. Rubin Owens (LeRoy) came closest in 2014, but was still an inch and a half short. For the Sophomore State Record Holder, it would take another two years to hit another historical milestone.
