The Road to Eugene: Scotty Newton
6/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Outdoor Track
With five days to go before the NCAA Championships, GoFrogs.com takes a look at Scotty Newton's road to Eugene leading up to his berth in the men's triple jump at the NCAA Championships.
As a freshman, Newton immediately made an impact during his first indoor meet of the season. At the New Mexico Invitational, he hit a mark of 15.03m (49-3.75), rising all the way to No. 5 all-time in the TCU Indoor record books. His top jump of the indoor season came two weeks later at the Tyson Invitational in a loaded fielding, leaping to a distance of 15.31m (50-2.75).
Jumping in only three meets during his first indoor slate, Newton capped it off with a third-place finish at the Big 12 Championships behind a jump of 15.02m (49-3.5).
He opened his first outdoor campaign by winning the long jump at home at the TCU Invitational. Newton would sprinkle three more long jump events throughout the season, climbing up to 7.30m (23-11.5) at the outdoor conference meet en route to a fifth-place finish.
At the Texas Relays, Newton opened up in the triple jump at 14.47m (47-7.75), but quickly rebounded the following weekend at the Baylor Invite behind a mark of 14.94m (49-0.25). He improved in back-to-back meets in the return to Waco for the Michael Johnson Classic two weeks later after hitting a distance of 15.05m (49-4.5).
The Big 12 Outdoor Championships were good for the Bakersfield, California, native. After setting a PR in the long jump, the next day he posted another best, jumping with a crosswind to a mark of 15.37m (50-5.25). The mark put him at 33rd overall in the West region, giving him the opportunity to compete at the prelims, and he took full advantage of it.
After fouling his first attempt at the NCAA West Prelims, his second jump landed at a distance of 15.51m (50-10.75). If all things had held the same, the mark would've given him the No. 12 jump in the region, earning him a ticket to Eugene and the NCAA Championships. But he wasn't done yet. With his final try, Newton leaped to a mark of 15.72m (51-7), giving him the sixth-best jump of the region and solidifying his spot at the NCAA meet.
Only three other freshmen qualified for the NCAA Championships, with Newton leading the three and ranking 14th overall among qualifying marks. That jump ranks him at seventh all-time in the TCU outdoor record books.
TCU has won three national titles in field events, but none have come from the men's triple jump.
Newton gets an opportunity to change that beginning at 4:30 p.m. PDT on Friday, June 12.
