University of Maine senior and former Medomak Valley track and field athlete, Nathaniel Meade, broke the indoor triple jump record at Colby College on Jan. 18.
The previous record was set in 1976 by Dan Cochrane (48’11”). Meade jumped over 49 feet to break the 37-year-old record. Meade jumped 14.99m (49’2″) to take first in the event. Meade also placed first in the long jump (6.87m -22.3097 feet) to help the Black Bears sweep the jumping events.
“For four years Nate has accomplished quite a bit at Orono and his work has gone largely unnoticed by most, including his own university. We here at Medomak are very proud of his accomplishments,” Medomak coach Jacob Newcomb commented.
Meade has been named to the All Conference team four times, twice for indoor track and twice for outdoor, and he has been named Northeast Atlantic Conference Athlete of the Week. He is perplexed why he wasn’t even a footnote on UMO’s website after breaking the 37-year-old record.
Meade first competed in the triple jump as a senior at Medomak Valley, and his best mark was 43’6″ coming into his freshman year. He set his sights on the school record four years ago as a freshman, and hopes to break the outdoor record as well this spring. His goal is to hit the 50 foot mark, and he hopes to win the American East Conference and qualify for Nationals.
He is currently ranked 32nd in the nation, with the top 48 qualifying for Nationals. He hopes to qualify for the Nationals both indoors and out.
He is an electrical engineering technology major. The full-time student balances his academics, sports and a part-time job at CMP. “It is a lot of hard work. Track carries me through. Hard work really pays off, that is what I try to instill in the freshmen when they come in,” Meade commented.
Meade was especially pleased to see his former Panther coach Jacob Newcomb at the meet when he broke the record. “Support from people past and present helps to motivate you and helps you accomplish your goals,” Meade added.
