Top 10 Rankings: Horizon League Long Jump

So far, youth leads the way in the Horizon League long jump rankings. The top 10 going into the weekend includes eight freshmen, one sophomore, and a junior.

Yes, we know that the outdoor season is young and the defending champions Youngstown State has yet to begin its outdoor season, but for now, we thought it would be pretty cool to check out just what these up and coming stars have done thus far.

1. Kayla Thompson - Northern Kentucky - Sophomore (5.60)

Thompson got her outdoor season started with a winning leap of 5.60 at the Blizzard Buster in Oxford, Ohio on March 23.

During the indoor season, she placed sixth in long jump (5.49) at the Horizon League Championships. As a freshman in 2018, she placed fourth in the outdoor championships and fifth at indoor.

2. Paige Sanders - Oakland - Freshman (5.48)

With a jump of 5.48, Sanders placed fifth at the VertKlasse Meeting in High Point, North Carolina last weekend. The event had a field of 35 competitors.

Sanders's jump of 5.64 at the Horizon League Indoor Championships allowed her to place third, which was the top finish by a freshman at this year's meet. She also placed second at the SVSU Tune-Up Meet during the indoor season with a jump of 5.40.

3. Tyra Kennedy - Northern Kentucky - Freshman (5.34)

After placing fourth in the Horizon League Indoor Championships long jump competition (5.64), Kennedy opened her outdoor season with another fourth place finish at the Blizzard Buster (5.34).

During the indoor season, Kennedy also had top five finishes at the Akron Invitational, Mastadon Invitational, and Marshall Opener.

4. Hallie Mockobee - IUPUI - Freshman (5.27)

Mockobee competed in a deep field at the Vanderbilt Black & Gold Invitational last weekend. Her jump of 5.27 had her finish at 19th, but she competed in a field that had competitors from Kentucky, Michigan as well as some strong mid-major talents including All-American Janelle Perry of Central Michigan, who won the event.

She scored points by placing seventh at the Horizon League Indoor Championships with a jump of 5.46. During the indoor season, the freshman had runner-up finishes at the Mastodon Invitational and Indianapolis Team Invitational.

5. Maya Leverett - Northern Kentucky - Freshman (5.24)

The Northern Kentucky freshman placed seventh (5.24) in a field of 18 jumpers that included two of her teammates, who are mentioned above, last weekend at the Blizzard Buster.

Leverett's best jump during the indoor season came at the Akron Invitational where she placed sixth with a jump of 5.39. She also placed fifth at the Mastodon Invitational and sixth at the Marshall Opener.

6. Emily Schaub - Oakland - Freshman (5.11)

Schaub is one of the top pentathlon performers in the Horizon League. She opened her outdoor career competing in five events at the VertKlasse Meeting. Her jump of 5.11 in long jump placed her at 16th.

During the indoor season, she had a top 10 finish at the Ice Breaker Dual Meet, hosted by Western Michigan. She finished fourth at the Horizon League Championships in the pentathlon, which included a 5.15 leap in the long jump portion.

7. Kyri Jackson - Detroit Mercy - Junior (4.97)

Jackson is the only junior on this list. She started her outdoor season with a long jump of 4.97 in heptathlon action, where she placed fourth overall at the Adidas Winthrop University Invitational.

Jackson earned a first place finish (5.04) at the Dick Small Memorial Invite in Defiance, Ohio. She also placed fourth at the GVSU Tune-Up at Grand Valley State.

8. Briana Walker - Oakland - Freshman (4.89)

Walker's outdoor career kicked off at the VertKlasse Meeting with a leap of 4.89. During the indoor season, she had top seven finishes at the Ice Breaker Dual Meet, Jack Skoog Open at Central Michigan, and the SVSU Holiday Open in Saginaw, Mich.

9. Lauren Palmer - IUPUI - Freshman (4.81)

Palmer's jump of 4.81 took place at the Yellow Jacket Invitational at Georgia Tech. Her best finish during indoor season came at the Mastodon Invitational where she finished eighth (4.84).

10. Tatiana Brown - Wright State - Freshman (4.80)

The Wright State freshman competed at the VertKlasse Meeting with a jump of 4.80. During the indoor season, Brown had top eight finishes at the Stan Lyons 2019 meet at Butler, Ball State Tune-Up, Cedarville Collegiate Indoor Invite, and the 2018 Oiler Opener.