Some Guy from South Carolina Is King of Triple Jump

A skinny 22-year-old college junior triple-jumped out of anonymity and into the record book in Friday night’s Sunkist Invitational at the Sports Arena.

If the name Charlie Simpkins doesn’t ring a bell, you’re not alone.

“I’m just a God-given gift from out of the blue,” he said.

Before the South Carolina resident set the indoor mark of 57 feet 5 inches on his final jump, he was a mystery entrant overshadowed by better-known competitors such as Michael Conley--and almost everyone else in the event, for that matter.

Seldom has an athlete achieved the highest performance in the history of his event . . . and had the meet scorer misspell his last name.

The results sheet issued to the press also misspelled the name of his college, which is not Baptiste, but Baptist College of Charleston, S.C.

Although Simpkins represents the Nike track team, rather than his school, he still demonstrates a strong regional loyalty.

One of his first delighted comments after setting the mark was, “Now we can put that town on the map.

His hometown is Aiken, S.C., and when he said “we,” he was referring to its most famous, and certainly largest, export, William Perry of the Chicago Bears.

Simpkins said he couldn’t wait to get home and see his old high school track teammate after the Super Bowl.

“Maybe we can have a parade, or do something together for charity,’ he said.

When asked what event The Refrigerator ran for Aiken High, Simpkins laughed and said: “He never ran, he threw the shot.”

Simpkins’ dimensions, 6-1 and 158 pounds, are the precise inverse of Perry’s. In fact, he weighs half as much and said he had never been so foolhardy as to get into a pick-up football game with Perry back home.

These were the directions a Nike official used to direct a reporter to Simpkins: “Just look for the skinniest guy out there.”

Simpkins’ triple jump broke the world indoor record of 57-1 1/2 set by Willie Banks at San Diego in 1982.

Simpkins’ explanation for the jump: “I don’t really know. Maybe it was my training, my weight workouts. I have a nice coach.”

He said Conley’s final leap of 56-6 provided a definite inspiration. He had never before beaten his friend.

“I’ve been chasing Michael forever,” Simpkins said. “I saw him jump 56-6, and I said, ‘I’ve got to do something to win!’

“So I concentrated on my phases and my speed and I went over and got myself psyched up to do what I had to do.”

Simpkins’ best previous indoor mark was set just two days ago at Osaka, Japan, a 56-1. Rather than jet-lag, he may have been feeling more of a jet-stream effect Friday night.

“This means that finally someone’s going to look upon me,” he said. “I don’t like over-recognition, but I like recognition.”