Surrounded by the highest level of competition in college indoor track and field, Miami senior Russell Robinson stood at the top in the men’s triple jump.
Going into the competition, Robinson’s mind was set to make history.
“I was excited and ready to go for the competition,” he said.
Robinson, on his first attempt, set a mark of 16.76 meters (55 feet). This broke his record in Miami indoor history and set a new facility record at New Balance’s TRACK.
Robinson is the Hurricanes’ first national champion since Michelle Atherley won the pentathlon in 2019.
Coming off an All-American year last indoor season, Robinson has been at the top of his game all season. Throughout the year, he consistently showed himself as one of the best in the nation, breaking his records multiple times this season as he worked to finally sit at the top in the national championship.
This has not come easy for Robinson, who had to work his way to the top. As a freshman, Robinson came in as a walk-on, and he worked with his coaches to set his path to success. Jump and combined events coach Rob Jarvis helped Robinson lay out his plan for success.
“As a 18-year-old freshman he had the dream, determination, and trust … Russ and his family understood the vision and four-year plan I laid out for them,” Jarvis said.
Robinson, sticking to the plan, has improved every year, and just last year he was the runner-up in the outdoor NCAA championships and finished No. 18 all-time. Though it hasn’t been perfect, it led to his success today, and he’s given all the credit to those coaches for his success.
“Shout out [head] coach [Amy] Deem and [assistant] coach Jarvis for taking a chance on me,” Robinson said. “I’m just a kid from Orlando, Florida, but they believed in me.”
Looking elsewhere, junior Kennedy Sauder also held his own in the national championship. He earned himself a second consecutive second-team All-American spot with a ninth-place finish and a 2.18-meter height in the high jump.
With the indoor season now officially over, Miami track and field now shifts outdoors. It will host three home meets throughout the season, starting with the opener at Cobb Stadium on March 15–16.