CJ Simbiri ‘24 saw great success in his first-ever season competing in the triple jump after participating in other track and field events since seventh grade including long jump, 55 meters, and 4x200 relay.
CJ finished the regular season with strong wins, placing third at the Five County Meet of Champions at Lehigh University and fourth at the Track and Field Coaches Association of Greater Philadelphia (TFCAofGP) Meet. These results allowed CJ to qualify and compete at the PA State Indoor Track Meet at Penn State University’s banked track, a feat only one other DC athlete has ever attained when Maggie Linton ‘17 qualified for the indoor track state meet for the 800-meter event in 2017. It was announced early March that CJ Simbiri was also selected to the 2022-2023 Indoor Track All-Delco first team.
To get to the state championship, an athlete must meet a qualifying standard and rank amongst the top twenty jumpers in Pennsylvania. CJ entered the meet ranked eighth overall in the state with a distance of forty-four feet. Each qualifying jumper was given three jumps and then the top nine jumpers were given an additional three tries in the finals. CJ’s second attempt was his best overall, measuring 43’5” which was enough to get him into the finals. His third attempt was perhaps his longest jump of the season, but unfortunately, went over the line by an inch. After the nine finalists had jumped, CJ was comfortably in sixth place and received one of the eight coveted medals for his efforts.
“Before I jump I’m always thinking how I can best execute this jump but as soon as I start my run-up, my mind is quiet,” explains CJ. “CJ showed a lot of character and poise at the State Champion meet. He fouled his first jump, but came back with his best of the Meet, and was able to hold that through the final jumps. I was very proud of his achievement and the manner in which he faced the pressure of the Meet,” shared Track and Field Head Coach, Dr. George McFarland.
CJ thanks his coaches, the indoor track team, and his parents for all of their support throughout the season. Join us in congratulating CJ Simbiri for a formidable season!