Long jump fouls hurt Taylor in state championships

It didn't have the desired happy Hollywood ending. It included a decision mired in controversy. But a lot of good things still happened along the way despite history repeating itself. And more good things could still happen.

Port Chester's Ex-Ram All-Star senior quarterback and League and Sectional long jump champion Colin Taylor fouled twice out of three jumps and slipped on the third to finish out of the money in failing to qualify for the finals in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Outdoor Track & Field Championships last Friday (6/9) in upstate Middletown.

Maybe it was something in the hazy air left over from those Canadian wildfires. Maybe it was the more than one-hour drive from Port Chester to Middletown in the Ram van. Or perhaps his legs cramped up after the ride. Or maybe it was the overzealous official who threw him off stride after calling a foul on him even though his coaches say they have videotape that shows no foul was committed.

Best self missing

Whatever it was, Taylor's best self didn't show up because somewhere between Port Chester and Middletown he lost nearly four inches from his previous best jump (22:9), an astronomical distance in an event that is usually won or lost by a fraction of an inch.

Taylor wasn't alone in thinking something was amiss in the states. Because going into the state championships, Taylor had won the school's first Sectional Championship in 23 years by two inches with that personal best leap with three others trailing just behind him with jumps ranging from 22:7.5 (Logan McCormack of White Plains) to 22:7 (Nyack's Putu Satayasa and Suffern's Jack Tarrant).

But only one of them finished in the top five (Sutayasa, fourth, jumping 22:2) with the top six making the All-State team and William Floyd's Laduke Harris from Long Island winning it all with an epic jump of 22:11.75.

That local failure didn't surprise Rams head T&F coach Nick Mancuso.

The questionable call

"There was one official who was calling everything close, and that was throwing everybody off," he said. "Especially Colin, when he was called for a foul by what may have been charitably described as questionably being half the length of a toenail over the board that serves as the launching pad. And our videotape shows it wasn't a foul."

But right or wrong, those kinds of close calls can throw a competitor off because that means the runner consciously or unconsciously slows down on his approach to the launching pad and is ultra careful not to land a foot even ever so slightly over the board on his way to leaping far into the pit before falling forward on landing.

History repeats itself

Taylor, who also fouled twice in the state indoor long jump championships on Staten Island, was down to his last jump after two questionable foul calls, slowed down and slipped on his final run down the straightaway, the awkward approach leading to a vastly disappointing 15-foot jump.

"That doesn't negate what Colin accomplished during an outdoor season when he won the League and Sectional Championships and was one of Westchester's best long jumpers," Mancuso said. "And he isn't done yet."

Taylor has at least one more shot at long jump glory before he graduates.

The Philadelphia story

By jumping over 18 feet in the state qualifiers, Taylor also automatically qualified for the National Championships Saturday (6/17) at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, home of the famous Penn Relays. The long jump is scheduled to go off at 2:30 p.m. Rams T&F coach Danny Alvarado has been working long and hard with Taylor to keep his long jumping up to speed in ever-improving strides all season long. So hopefully Taylor's state-of-mind will be a lot better in the Nationals than it was in the states. And as arguably Port Chester's best clutch athlete, the odds are Taylor's best self will show up in Philly. Because if there ever was a time when "Gonna Fly Now" (to paraphrase that classic "Rocky" boxing underdog movie music theme), it will be coming up in the so-called city of brotherly love. And, oh brother, would Colin love to go out a winner.