VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Benedict College's Shemar Miller earned another All-American honor in the triple jump event on Saturday by finishing third in the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field Championships.
 
"It feels good. This one is as special as the first one," said Miller, who was the 2021 outdoor national champion in the triple jump. "I felt I had to work twice as hard for this one. But it really paid off. It's third place, but it still feels good. I was confident and having fun. I went out there and did what I had to do. It was a good experience."
 
He jumped 15.38 meters his first jump of the competition, which put him in third place. He followed with a jump of 15.28 meters. Miller jumped a personal best and school record 15.60 meters (51 feet, 2 ¼ inches) on his third attempt, which moved him into second place.
 
"My second jump was really big, but I was behind the board so I lost some distance there. I moved up on my third one and made it count," Miller said.
 
Miller jumped 15.09 meters on his fourth attempt and fouled on his fifth attempt. In the sixth and final round, Yacouba Gnacko from the Academy of Art jumped 15.75 meters to move ahead of Miller into second place. Miller had one final jump but came up short with a jump of 15.47 meters.
 
"I was trying to pass him. I went out there and tried my best, but fell short by a couple of centimeters," Miller said. "That was my second best jump of the series. I think my body was starting to get a little tired."
 
Treyvon Ferguson from Pittsburg State was the national champion. He jumped 15.62 meters on his first attempt, improved to 15.69 meters on his second jump and then jumped a personal best 15.88 meters (52 feet, 1 ¼ inches) on his third attempt.