Russell Robinson bested the competition in the men’s triple jump at the 2024 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday evening.
And now he’s a national champion.
With a mark of 16.76m (55 feet) on his first attempt at the championship meet, Robinson not only improved on his existing indoor Miami record of 16.49m, which he set in January, but the senior also set a new facility record at the TRACK at New Balance.
Robinson said his excitement and determination contributed to his memorable performance.
“I was excited and ready to go for the competition. I’ve been looking forward to it all week,” Robinson said. “Throughout the competition and after my first jump, I kept telling myself that it wasn’t over, and there are some great athletes here that can put up some good numbers. I want to shout out [Head] coach [Amy] Deem and [assistant] coach [Rob] Jarvis for taking a chance on me. I’m just a kid from Orlando, Florida, but they believed in me, and they put me through all this training and all this work to have me become what I am now.”
Said Deem of Robinson’s performance, “I’m so proud of Russell. He’s an athlete that has stuck with the plan and has bought into the process here. To see him come into this competition, his senior year, and win a national championship, that’s what it’s all about.”
Robinson is Miami’s first track and field national champion since 2019, when Michelle Atherley won the pentathlon with her score of 4,547 points.
Jarvis, the Hurricanes’ jumps and combined events coach, played a role in both Robinson’s and Atherley’s performances.
“My short answer for what makes Russell Robinson, Russell Robinson is this: as an 18-year-old freshman he had the dream, determination, and trust to come to The U as a walk-on to one day be an NCAA Champion and Olympian,” Jarvis said. “Russ and his family understood the vision and four-year plan I laid out for them in the recruiting process. When Russ showed up that fall, we got to work. There have been ups and downs, but in 2023 he was the NCAA runner-up at outdoors and jumped into the NCAA all-time list at No. 18 with 17.12m. Russ has stayed the course and trusted the process. As his coach, I couldn’t ask for anything more. Very proud of him and what is in store for Russ’s future in track and field.”
Hurricane high jumper and 2024 ACC Indoor Champion Kennedy Sauder also had a strong showing, earning second-team All-American honors after a ninth-place finish in the men’s high jump. Sauder ended the day with a final height of 2.18m.
This is the second consecutive year Sauder has earned second-team all American honors.
At last year’s indoor national championships, the Lauderhill, Florida native finished 15th with a mark of 2.15m while competing for Liberty University.
Miami tied for 24th place in the men’s overall team standings. Texas Tech captured the men’s team title, while Arkansas captured the women’s crown.
With the indoor season behind them, the Hurricanes will now shift their focus to the start of the outdoor track and field season. Miami will host three home meets this season, starting with the Hurricane Invitational at Cobb Stadium on March 15-16.
