Damar Forbes finished second in the event with 7.97m as he continues to rise above a series of injuries that have stymied his potential over the past few years. Joseph Gotch achieved the same mark of 7.97 to be third.
Shadae Lawrence, who recently set a new national record of 67.05m, is still striving for the consistency she craves as she finished second in the discus with a throw of 62.48. Valrie Allman of the USA threw 67.74m for the victory.
Rachel Dincoff threw 59.78m for third.
Jahnoy Thompson clocked 20.79 for a second-place finish in the 200m won by Elijah Morrison in 20.61.
Amere Lattin was third in 20.83.
Javon Francis ran 46.05 for third place in the 400m. Wilbert London III won the race in 45.45 while Kahmari Montgomery was second in 45.83.
Inika McPherson cleared 1.90m to win the high jump in which Antigua and Barbuda’s Priscilla Frederick-Loomis was third after she cleared 1.82m, the same height as runner-up Michelle Spires.
The 21-year-old former Kingston College star won the silver medal in the long jump with a personal best of 8.25m on Friday night and followed up Saturday with his personal best jump to win the triple jump. His 17.17m, was more than a half-metre better than second-place Christian Edwards of Alabama (16.64m).
Each mark is the third-best in the world this year and McLeod believes things are shaping up nicely for what he believes will be his first Olympic campaign.
“All my preparation is for the upcoming Olympic Games so it’s going to be special as we gear up for trials and the Olympics,” he said. “I’m a lot more technical and I am faster which I need down the runway.”
His improvement at Tennessee has been significant but he credits his time at Kingston College for providing him with the platform from which he now excels.
“Having the right foundation from high school to now has played a huge part in my development over these years and, of course, being a student of the events is key,” he said, still undecided about which event he favours.
“I can’t say which one I prefer because I love both just the same; the triple is just a little more fun than the long jump,” he said.
His world-class performances aside, McLeod said he is encouraged by the number of emerging young Jamaican jumpers.
Fellow Jamaican Ryan Brown, a junior at Arkansas, jumped 8.12 for third at the SECs while Virginia’s Owayne Owens jumped a season-best 16.48m to win the triple jump at the ACC Championships on the weekend.
Adding eight-metre jumpers, 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle and Tennessee’s Wayne Pinnock to the mix, McLeod believes Jamaica is poised to do great things in the jumps in the future.
“We all are the younger generation coming up in the sport. We have goals of representing our country, so this is a very good look for the country as we could have multiple people on the podium,” he said.
“I can happily say we are on the rise to taking over in the jumps in the years to come.”
