SACRAMENTO “”mdash; When Rhonda Watkins left last year’s NCAA Championships empty-handed, she vowed that she would return and improve.
Last week, she fulfilled that promise to herself in historic fashion.
The sophomore sensation proved to be a one-woman wrecking crew for the Bruins as she not only captured the long jump championship by nearly a foot, but also garnered All-America honors in the high jump by finishing fifth. Watkins became the first woman in the history of UCLA track and field to accomplish such a feat.
Last season, Watkins made the finals in both the high jump and the long jump at the NCAA Championships and had big aspirations for both events. However, she failed to place in either competition and the disappointment that ensued fueled her for the entire year.
“The day that I left the meet last year,” Watkins said, “I said that this would never happen again, especially here.”
Watkins’ two-part achievement started on Thursday when she competed in the long jump finals. The favorite going into the event, Watkins faced a bit of a challenge from Ole Miss jumper Brittney Reese. But on her third attempt, Watkins uncorked a huge lifetime best, a wind-aided leap of 22 feet, 10 inches. The jump was nearly a foot better than Reese’s best mark and held for the remainder of the event, giving Watkins the win. The long jump title is the first for a UCLA athlete since Modupe Oshilkoya accomplished the feat in 1978.
While Watkins also won the NCAA Indoor long jump title earlier this year, the star from Trinidad and Tobago sees her latest championship as a bit more meaningful.
“I feel like I have accomplished more,” Watkins said of her outdoor title. “There are a lot more competitors outdoors and the jumps are better.”
While the sophomore cruised to the long jump title, her high-jump success proved to be a bumpier road. During warm-ups, Watkins rolled her right ankle, drawing concern from UCLA jumps coach Mike Powell, who advised her to drop out of the event. However, Watkins was not about to let another shot at placing in the high jump championship slip away.
“I told her not to jump,” Powell said. “But she told me to go get the trainer to tape her up. I was trying to protect her but she has earned the right to jump here.”
With her jumping ankle taped up, Watkins battled into the fifth spot with a clearance of 6-0 and just barely missed the next height of 6-1 1/4, which would have given her third place. With the pressure from winning the long jump behind her, Watkins was able to finally focus on the high jump, something she has rarely been able to do this season as both competitions usually fall on the same day.
“Today was all for fun,” Powell said. “Yesterday we wanted a win and with that out of the way, the pressure was gone.”
Through it all, Watkins competed in four events in the span of three days and still performed to the best of her abilities. Her success will certainly serve as a springboard for the World Championships in August when she will face her first real competition in the long jump.
“(My NCAA title) definitely gives me a lot more confidence because the meets only get bigger from here,” said Watkins, who has ranked among the top long jumpers in the world all season. “I feel like the more I compete, the more prepared I get.”