Miles Ready To Make The Jump

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Miles Ready To Make The Jump
It's been almost four years since former Coyote standout Derek Miles finished seventh at the Athens games, almost the same length of time he's battled a nagging stress fracture.

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Miles Ready To Make The Jump




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It's been almost four years since former Coyote standout Derek Miles finished seventh at the Athens games, almost the same length of time he's battled a nagging stress fracture.

Former USD Coyote/Olympian Derek Miles says, "It's just kind of step by step ever since, trying to figure out where that threshold of what you can do versus what you can't, and how much is pushing too hard, that kind of thing. So it's a learning as you go type process, but it's worked out really well up to this point where we've been able to walk that line."

But on January fourth, Miles went from walking that line to jumping the bar. In fact, higher than anyone in the world this year.

Miles says, "That height --- 19 feet --- was the highest I've ever jumped from that run. So in terms of where we are in the season, and where I've been in the past, it's kind of nice to say OK, I'm jumping higher than I've ever jumped from this run, which means if I back up, I should be able to jump higher than I've ever jumped in my life."

USD Assistant Track and Field Coach Sam Pribyl says, "That was the big thing I think was so amazing, he can't train like most of the other guys because of his shin.....I think it shows a lot about him that he can come through and pull out in big meets like that and have the highest jump right now in the world."

That jump was a huge hurdle for Miles, but just like recovering from his injury. Qualifying for his second Olympic games is a step-by-step process.

Miles says, "If I can make the top two at the U.S. Championships, go to the World Championships and get in the top three, win a medal, I think that will, overall, boost my general confidence going into the Olympic trials. Saying if I just stay on the gas and do exactly what I'm doing now, I should be in a position to jump 19 feet or higher at the trials, and if you can do that, you've got a 99 percent chance of making the team."