CALN TWP. – Kivaleon Clarke knew a few things Saturday as he approached the final three attempts in the boys triple jump at the District 1 Championships. The Penn Wood senior knew what Cheltenham’s Jordan Sowell could do, seeing it first-hand when Sowell leapt a states-leading 49-4 at the Rap Curry Invitational.
Clarke (45-8) was third that day. Clarke also knew he had work to do Saturday, after Sowell hit 46-11 on his first attempt, more than a foot and a half up on Clarke, in the second spot. And Clarke knew that, with a gold medal in Friday’s long jump already secured and his last high school jumps nearing, that he had nothing to lose.
“I had two people in front of me (to jump),” said Clarke, who entered as the third seed. “The mindset I went into that last jump with is, it’s not over yet. I went out there with an even harder push.
I rolled the phases even harder, longer and the results showed that. That was a really good jump I had.” Clarke not only prevailed in the triple jump at Coatesville High but did so in somewhat traumatic fashion.
He moved back into second place with his fourth attempt of 45-9.5. He closed the gap on Sowell, who made only four attempts, with a 46-7.
75 in the fifth round. In his sixth and final attempt, Clarke bounded 47-6.5 to seize the lead.
He watched Ridley’s Jayden Brown fall shy of improving his third-place leap, going 45-5.75 on the last and 45-7 for bronze. Then came Sowell, who soared within three quarters of an inch of C.