Jamaica’s Carey McLeod jump a personal best in the long jump on Friday to win a bronze medal at the NCAA Division I Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas Friday night.

McLeod, a junior at the University of Tennessee, improved on his previous best of 8.25m set at the SEC Championships two weeks ago that earned him a silver medal.

However, his 8.26m jump saw him finish third behind winner JuVaughn Harrison of LSU, who won with a collegiate-leading leap of 8.45m.

It was the second-best jump at a division-one championship, only bettered by Carl Lewis 8.48m set 40 years ago in 1981. The all-time collegiate record of 8.59m is held by Alabama’s Miguel Pate.

Isaac Grimes of Florida won the silver medal with his personal best effort of 8.35m.

In what was a competition of high quality, the top four competitors went beyond eight metres as Ja’Mari Ward of Missouri’s personal best of 8.11 saw him finish just outside the medals.

McLeod will go for gold in the triple jump later today. His 17.17m at the SEC Championships makes him the number-one seed in the competition.