CSUN’s Perry Got the Jump on His Injury

Chris Perry is not fond of season-ending injuries, but the Cal State Northridge long jumper had nothing to complain about after tender ligaments in his right knee had prevented him from competing in The Athletics Congress Junior (19 and under) track and field championships in Fresno last weekend.

Perry had won the NCAA Division II title and had set a Northridge record in May, and he was looking to improve his personal best--and possibly prolong his season with a top-two finish--in the junior meet.

“I was hoping to hit 26 (feet in the long jump) and 50 (in the triple jump),” Perry said. “But when my knee starting acting up, I decided to cool it. I didn’t think it was worth risking further injury up there.”

Although the injury ended Perry’s season, the freshman from Muir High in Pasadena said he was satisfied with his first collegiate campaign.

“I didn’t jump quite as far as I wanted to,” said Perry, who leaped 25 feet 10 1/4 inches in the long jump and 49-5 3/4 in the triple jump, “but I was very happy with the way I competed in the conference and national meets.”

After suffering season-ending injuries--which prevented him from competing in the jumps in the Southern Section and state championships--in his junior and senior years at Muir, Perry peaked in May.

On May 5, he improved his personal best from 24-5 3/4 to a school-record 25-10 1/4 in the Northridge Open at CSUN.

A week later, he jumped 25-3 1/4 to win the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. title at UC Riverside, and, on May 24, he notched a come-from-behind victory in the Division II championships, leaping a wind-aided 25-6 1/4 in the fifth round.

“It was a nice change to be jumping in the big meets this year,” Perry said. “Keeping healthy was one of my big goals at the start of the season.”

While the long jump was Perry’s main event, he also improved his 48-8 high school best in the triple jump, leaping 49-2 1/2 to place second in the CCAA meet and 49-5 3/4 in a meet at Cal State Los Angeles the following week.

“I wanted to jump over 50 feet this year,” said Perry, who placed ninth in the triple jump in the Division II meet. “But I can’t be too disappointed with the way things turned out. I did set a couple of (personal records).”

Although he was a national champion as a freshman, Perry is giving little thought to an NCAA title next season. Not with Northridge moving to the Division I ranks in all sports except football in the fall.

“I would like to qualify for the finals of the NCAAs,” he said. “If I do that, I think I’ll be pretty happy with my season.”