Failure has pushed Eastern Washington University long jump and triple jump standout Keshun McGee to the brink of becoming the school's first men's All-American in track and field in 18 years.

 

The junior from Bremerton, Wash. (Olympic HS '15) will compete at the NCAA Track and Field Championships this Wednesday (June 5) and Friday (June 7) at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. The long jump competition is Wednesday at 6 p.m. Pacific time and the triple jump is Friday at 5:40 p.m.

 

The top eight finishers earn first team All-America status, while the next eight earn second team accolades. The No. 17-24 finishers receive honorable mention.

 

"It's great, but I'm not done yet," said McGee at a workout before heading to Austin. "I want to keep going. Top eight for both events would be (first team) All-America, so that's the goal from here on out."

 

McGee advanced to the finals in the triple jump by placing sixth overall with a personal-best mark of 52-4 3/4 at the NCAA West Preliminary Round in Sacramento, Calif., on May 25. Two days earlier he placed eighth in the long jump with a mark of 25-1 1/4 to punch his first ticket to the final 24 in Austin.

 

He is one of only four competitors advancing in both events at the NCAA Championships. His triple jump mark ranks 23rd in NCAA Division I this season, and his school-record mark of 25-4 1/2 in the long jump is 32nd. He is also chasing the school record in the triple jump of 52-8 set in 1980 by Vic White, whose 40-year old long jump record of 25-1 1/4 fell to McGee on April 20.

 

"I didn't know that until coach (Dave) Nielsen told me," said McGee of being just one of four to double-qualify in the jumps. "It was big to me and, honestly, all these accomplishments and records keep coming to me that I didn't even know existed. It's great to be here at Eastern and do what do. I just keep pushing to be the best I can be."

 

McGee has won five of the last six Big Sky Conference triple jump and long jump titles, including a clean sweep with titles both indoors and outdoors in 2019. He also won the 2018 outdoor title in the long jump and was second in the triple jump, but earlier that season indoors he wasn't as successful. He failed to even make the finals in the triple jump and finished 12th, and was just sixth in the long jump. That came after a promising freshman season in 2017 when he placed in the top seven in all four competitions, including a long jump title indoors.

 

"Failure has been a big part of it for me," added McGee. "Indoors (in 2018) I didn't really compete as well as I should have. From then on I've just told myself I need to do better and pushed myself to be the best I could be."

 

Eastern's last outdoor men's All-American was Ryan Cole in the javelin in 2001, and that same year Kurt Kraemer was an All-American in the triple jump indoors. The only other male All-American was Greg Jones in the high jump outdoors in 1986, and only three females have earned All-America status since EWU moved to NCAA Division I in the 1983-84 school year.

 

Although McGee is the first Eastern male or female to advance to the outdoor championships in two events, Kurt Kraemer competed in the long jump and triple jump at the 2001 indoor championships. Earlier this year McGee broke Kraemer's indoor long jump record (25-6 and 25 3 1/4, respectively), but McGee is still chasing Kraemer's indoor triple jump record (51-9 3/4 to 53-5 1/2, respectively).

 

McGee is the first Eagle to advance to the national meet since 2014 when Catie Arrigoni made it in the 3000-meter steeplechase and Emma Murillo qualified in the javelin, and Jordan Arakawa qualified in the hammer throw.

More of McGee's Milestones & Records

 

Big Sky Conference Championships

School-Record Six Titles - Indoors: Long Jump (2019), Long Jump (2017), Triple Jump (2019); Outdoors:

Long Jump (2019), Long Jump (2018), Triple Jump (2019).

 

Big Sky Conference Finishes (total of eight All-Big Sky honors with top 3 finish)

2017 Indoors: CHAMPION Long Jump/2nd Triple Jump

2017 Outdoors: 7th Long Jump/5th Triple Jump

2018 Indoors: 6th Long Jump/12th Triple Jump

2018 Outdoors: CHAMPION Long Jump/2nd Triple Jump

2018 Indoors: CHAMPION Long Jump/CHAMPION Triple Jump

2018 Outdoors: CHAMPION Long Jump/CHAMPION Triple Jump

 

School Records & Rankings

Long Jump Outdoors – 25-4 1/2 in 2019 (school record; broke Vic White's record of 25-1 1/4 in 1979)

Triple Jump Outdoors – 52-4 3/4 in 2019 (No. 2; ranks only Vic White's record of 52-8 in 1980)

Long Jump Indoors – ###25-6 in 2019 (school record; broke Kurt Kraemer's record of ###25-3 1/4 in 2001)

Triple Jump Indoors – ***51-9 3/4 in 2019 (No. 2; ranks only behind Kurt Kraemer's record of ***53-5 1/2 in 2001)

###McGee ranks 8th and Kraemer is 10th on the Big Sky all-time list.

***McGee ranks 10th and Kraemer is 3rd on the Big Sky all-time list.

Note: No. 10 on the Big Sky all-time list outdoors is 25-6 in the long jump (Idaho's Dan O'Brien in 1989) and 52-5 1/2 in the triple jump.

 

Eastern's Previous NCAA Division I All-Americans

 

Men's All-Americans/Outdoors

2001 - Ryan Cole - 223-3 - 8th - Javelin

1986 - Greg Jones - 7-3 - 2nd - High Jump

 

Men's All-Americans/Indoors

2001 - Kurt Kraemer - 52-1 3/4 - 4th - Triple Jump

 

Women's All-Americans/Outdoors

2007 - Carolee Gutierrez - 161-10 - 8th - Javelin

1992 - Kari McKay - 34:56.38 - 4th - 10,000

 

Women's All-Americans/Indoors

2012 - Keisa Monterola -14-1 1/4 - 5th - Pole Vault

More Comments from Jumps Coach Dave Nielsen

 

On Goals for McGee: "We'll see how it goes – we have our goals set out. One of them is to jump over 16 meters (52-6), another is to hit the school record (52-8) and a third is to gain All-America status. I think if he can hit 53 feet he can do that, and he's not very far away from that now – only eight inches."

 

On Gameplan in Austin: "We are trying to get him to do the same things that got him there. He doesn't have to do anything superhuman – we talk to our team about that too. When you get to championships, you do what got you there – let the performances come out as they will. If Keshun does what he's been working on and does well at it, he's going to be right there challenging in the long and triple jump for an All-America spot."

 

On McGee's Legacy: "He's certainly one of the top competitors I've been able to coach. He's had some challenging situations and come back from disappointments. Indoors in 2018 he was the hands-down favorite to win the triple jump and he didn't make finals. It didn't make him feel good, but he took that very well and went on to become more determined.

More Comments from Keshun McGee

 

On Competing at NCAA Championships: "It's been a goal for me for awhile, so it's a really big accomplishment to get to this stage against all the other great competitors I'll face. I'll come out and see what I can do. Now that I'm there it's time to get working and get to the next level."

 

On Being Competitive: "I'm a competitor – I love to compete against athletes from around the world and different levels. I've been given strength and ability to do what I'm able to do, so I just try to come out and be the best athlete I can be."