DHS Marcus Gelpi Continues UNDEFEATED Streak; Crowned State JC Champion on May 21st
DHS Marcus Gelpi Continues UNDEFEATED Streak; Crowned State JC Champion on May 21st
Exclusive By Ben Edokpayi, Sports Reporter
Word Count 1051
At the Puerto Rico Athletics Classic at the Francisco Montaner Stadium on May 12 where Jamal Wilson from Bahamas won the gold medal in the high jump with a leap of 2.22 meters, Marcus Gelpi, whose Dixon High School Record is yet to be eclipsed, had a good chance of winning a medal if he had traveled to his Father’s homeland for the competition.
But there was a conflict in the calendar with another competition in Santa Rosa on the same day where he cleared 7 feet at Bailey Field to add another gold to his medal treasure chest.
“ I was supposed to go to the Puerto Rico Invitational but it would’ve been at the same time as another one of my meets,” said Marcus Gelpi in an interview with the Tribune on Friday about the prestigious meet in the Island nation which featured the top names in track and field.
Winners at that meet included American Champion Trayvon Broomell 9:92 in the 100 meters, Hansle Parchment in the 110 Meters Hurdles, Elaine Thompson 10:93 In the Women’s 100 meters and of course Jasmine Camacho Quinn who won a silver medal in San Juan.
The meeting is part of the 2022 World Athletics Continental Tour Silver which featured several World and Olympic medalists.
https://world-track.org/2022/05/complete-results-from-the-2022-puerto-rico-athletics-classic-may-12/
However the disappointment of a calendar conflict eventually became a blessing in disguise for Dixon High School High Jump Champion who will clock 21 next year.
On Saturday at the State Junior College Championship in Walnut, Marcus cleared a height of 2.10 meters or 6’10.75” to emerge as Dixon High School’s first champion in Junior College Track and Field Championship.
“I won the state championship for junior college and finished my freshman season of college completely undefeated,” an elated Marcus told the Tribune on Friday.
And he plans to make up for his absence at the May 12 Puerto Rico Athletics Classic with an appearance at the Puerto Rico National Championships on June 3rd where he hopes to make an emphatic statement perhaps with a record jump in a season where he is undefeated.
Last month Marcus Gelpi told the Tribune that his aim for the Nationals in San Juan will be to clear 7’2’’. At the San Juan May 12 meet that would have earned him a medal. The field included Jamal Wilson, Jeron ROBINSON US, Luis CASTRO RIVERA PUR, Trey CULVER USA and Donald THOMAS BAH.
“After that I have one more meet at the Olympic training center in Chula Vista where I’ll be wrapping up my season,” he informed the Tribune. https://trainatchulavista.com/
It has indeed been an exceptional year for the former DHS student who is now a student at the Diablo Valley Junior College where he is the high jump champion as well.
He hugged national headlines at the Stanford Invitational on April 1st where he won and has never looked back ever since. At the 62nd Mount San Antonio College Relays in Walnut Calif on Easter weekend he won the men’s collegiate high jump with a second-attempt clearance at 7–0.50 (2.15m) in the Mount San Antonio Relays presented by Nike at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.
The field included world Leaders in the event ,held at the famous track and field stadium, a stone throw from the famous American Museum of Ceramic Art, AMOCA, Pomona. https://www.amoca.org/
“There were a bunch of talented people from this meet. I was competing against people from UCLA, Texas, Air Force, Detroit, Michigan and much more. Everybody was talented in this competition and anybody could’ve won,” he told the Dixon Tribune.
And he was in good company.
“Four world-leading marks and a bevy of spectacular sprint and hurdle matchups entertained a large crowd Saturday afternoon at the USATF Golden Games at Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College. Olympic and world champions and medalists topped the bill and enjoyed sunny and breezy conditions at the second stop on the World Athletics Continental Tour — Gold, informed a media release on the USATF website.
“The culmination of the meet was a dream matchup in the Nike men’s 200m between the Olympic 100m silver medalist, Fred Kerley, the Olympic 400m hurdles silver medalist, Rai Benjamin, and the Olympic 400m fifth-place finisher, Michael Norman.”
At just 20, Marcus Is certainly a 2024 Paris Olympic Medal prospect for Puerto Rico (Marcus’ Mom is from Dixon, but like Olympic Champion in the 100 meters hurdles Jasmine Camacho-Quinn he chooses to compete for the land of his paternal roots) with his current excellent form.
Most of the athletes from the Francisco Montaner Stadium meet on May 12 were on parade at the Prefontaine classic which started Friday and ends today.
https://onherturf.nbcsports.com/2022/05/27/shacarri-richardson-2022-prefontaine-classic/
Elaine Thompson-Herah Reacts to her win over Sha’Carri Richardson In Pre Classic 100m
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=293b2iMW9e8
Michael Norman breaks Michael Johnson’s record, claims 400m win at Prefontaine | NBC Sports
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hryD-BULt08
How About That Race In The Newly Minted Hayward Field Where Son Medalled in the 100 and 200 Meters at the Junior Olympics.
Trayvon Broomell won the 100 meters in a race with the best assembly of sprinters this year and he led wire-to-wire to hit the tape at 9:93. Letsile Tebogo (10.12), Erriyon Knighton (10.14), Kyree King (10.16), Kenneth Bednarek (10.18) and Andre de Grasse (10.21) rounded out the field.
For a live Stream from Hayward Field ( where son medalled in the Junior Olympics) event click on this link.
Lead sports story in the Dixon Tribune May 29th edition. The Tribune is the newspaper of record for the city of Dixon, formerly known as Dickson.
Lead Photo shows Olympian Bob Kersee and his wife Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee at the Olympic trials in Sacramento. Joyner-Kersee is a retired American track and field athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the hiptathlon as well as long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals in those two events at four different Olympic Games.
