Chengetayi Mapaya returned to Hayward Field a year after tearing his hamstring and won his second NCAA title. Photo by Kevin Neri
A year after tearing his hamstring, Chengetayi Mapaya of TCU took a bow after winning his second triple jump NCAA championship Friday afternoon. Mapaya won on his third attempt, jumping for a personal best 56 feet, 7 1/2 inches.
“I feel amazing, man,” Mapaya said. “Last year I tore my hamstring at this same competition, so this was a comeback season.”
Mapaya tore his hamstring on his fourth attempt at last year’s NCAA Championships but still managed to finish in third place. The torn hamstring also stopped Mapaya from competing in the Tokyo Olympics.
Mapaya told The Sunday Mail that once he started rehabilitating his injury, he shifted his focus from the Olympics to finishing his collegiate career with a bang and competing at the World Athletics Championships.
Mapaya beat last year’s NCAA champion, Oregon’s Emmanuel Ihemeje, to regain the NCAA title that he last won in 2019.
The two jumpers’ first attempts settled them into the competition, as Ihemeje jumped 53 feet and Mapaya fouled. Their second jumps were their second-bests of the day, with Ihemeje setting a season-best of 55-9 and Mapaya going for 55-6.
Once Mapaya set the collegiate record, Ihemeje couldn’t catch up but was able to set another season-best on his fifth attempt, jumping for 55-10 1/2.
“We have beef, but it’s good beef,” Mapaya said.
After Mapaya’s final jump, Ihemeje walked up to him and gave him a hug and they both turned to the crowd to wave, celebrating their performance as the crowd applauded the two jumpers.
Ihemeje, who is Italian, said he plans to return to Hayward Field for the World Championships.
Mapaya threw sand in the air celebrating his third jump before even finding out how far he jumped.
“I’ll just keep that smile up until I die,” Mapaya said. “It’s a good way to end my NCAA season.”
This was also Mapaya’s final time jumping for TCU. He will also return to Hayward Field for the World Championships to compete for Zimbabwe.
