Beloit represented in US Olympic Track and Field Trials for triple jump

Beloit Memorial High School graduate Shelvin Garrett II, a junior at UW-Whitewater, came up short in his attempt to advance to the finals of the United States Olympic Track and Field Trials, but another jumper with Beloit ties was in the top eight to advance.

Garrett was among the 24 jumpers selected to compete in Eugene, Oregon, on Friday and one of just two NCAA Division III jumpers. The D-III All-American started the meet with a 14.98 meter jump (49-feet, 1.75 inches).

Garrett reached 14.80 meters on his second jump and on his third and final jump he matched his first effort. It wasn’t quite enough to advance him to Sunday’s competition.

James Carter Jr., the son of former Beloit Memorial standout James Carter Sr., advanced to the finals night with a personal-best leap of 16.61 (54-6) that ranked him fourth.

Carter, who attended Oak Creek High School, had a stellar college career for the University of Iowa. He was competing unattached in the Trials. The only jumpers to outperform him in the first round were Russell Robinson of Miami (17.14), Salif Mane of Farleigh Dickinson (16.97) and Donald Scott (16.77).

Carter hit 16.44 (53-11.75) on his first jump Sunday and that got him into the top eight and warranted three more times. He never scratched, but he his second-best jump was 16.33.

Mane finished first overall in the event, jumping 17.52 (57-5.75) on his final attempt. Robinson was next at 17.01 (55-9.75) and Scott was third at 16.87 (55-4.25).

Locked in fourth was Omar Craddock at 16.84 (55-3), followed by Sean Dixon-Bodie (16.80, 55-1.5) and William Claye (16.73, 54-10.75).

Chris Carter was seventh at 16.46 (54-0), followed by James Carter, Chris Benard (16.36, 53-8.25), Christian Taylor (16.32, 53-6.5), Brandon Green (16.26, 53-4.25) and Kyvon Tatham (15.64, 51-3.75).

James Carter’s father was a track standout for the Beloit Memorial Purple Knights in the early 1990s. “Jimmy” Carter helped head coach Gene Weeden’s 1991 team win a WIAA Division 1 state title.

As a senior in 1992, he captured three Big Eight Conference individual titles, taking first in the long jump, the 110-meter high hurdles and the triple jump. He was also second in the high jump. Carter went on to become the state runner-up in the Division 1 triple jump, falling a half-inch short of first.