Beacon's Rayvon Grey wins USA long jump title; inspires locals 'to achieve amazing things'
Jim Henry had planned his evening around this event and was just as excited on Friday as his students were for the last day of classes in the Beacon school district.
He would get comfortable at home and tune in to watch what, for him, was the most anticipated primetime show in some time. And this one was scripted brilliantly.
Rayvon Grey was in ninth place after his first two long jumps and needed at least eighth place to advance to the final at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Oregon. The third attempt would be his last, barring something spectacular.
“He’s been a clutch performer since he was a kid,” the longtime Beacon High School track and field coach said of his former pupil. “He’s at his best in big meets and when his back is to the wall.”
Grey once again demonstrated that ability to propel himself after a setback. With a clean running start and a “great takeoff,” he flew 26 feet, 10½ inches on that third jump, literally launching himself into first place.
“The feeling reminded me of the NCAA championships,” the former Louisiana State University star said, going back to when he rallied from behind to win a collegiate title in 2019. “It’s like your mind turns off and you’re not even thinking about everything going on. You’re just locked in on hitting your cues.”
The moment called for something spectacular, and that jump was a personal best and the longest in the competition by more than an inch, securing for the Beacon native his first U.S. championship.
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“The reaction at first is relief, then excitement,” he said. “It’s like, ‘I did it! I accomplished one my biggest goals. All the work I’ve put in for this and it’s coming to fruition.'”
Grey finished ahead of Steffin McCarter, a Team USA athlete who competed in the Olympics last summer. McCarter jumped 26 feet, 9 inches for second place.
An accomplished athlete
“There’s a huge amount” of pride in Beacon, Henry said. Locals who knew Grey as a child, or who even have followed his career from afar, always have celebrated his success. They’re beaming now as the 24-year-old can be considered among the elite.
A flood of congratulatory calls, texts and social media messages poured in Saturday, although Grey had little use of his phone then. Most of his day was spent in airports as his route home to Baton Rouge from from Eugene, Oregon included three connecting flights.
“I’m still very connected to Beacon,” said Grey, who now lives and trains year-round in Louisiana. “Most of my friends and old coaches and teachers are there, so it still feels like home. I don’t get to go back much, but the connection is always there and I’m so thankful for that love. They make me feel like I’m this accomplished athlete.”
Well, he kind of is.
Henry was one of the first people Grey spoke to Friday night after the victory. The coach described him as “the same humble, nice kid” he’s always known.
Grey is an inspiration to area kids involved in scholastic track and field, Henry said. Several of the athletes in his program now cite the 2016 Beacon High School graduate as the reason they became interested in the sport.
“His success makes people think they can do it at a high level, that it’s possible for someone from here to achieve amazing things,” he said. “A lot of kids here say, 'I wanna be like Rayvon.' Not just at our school, but throughout Dutchess County. He’s a role model to a lot of people.”
Henry has led Beacon since 2002 after taking over the program from venerated coach Jose Rodriguez. Those two spoke Saturday, marveling at the trajectory of the young man who still holds the state high school indoor long jump record.
“Watching him in high school, I was like, ‘Does this mean he could become one of the top guys in college and beyond?’” Henry said. “You saw the potential and it crossed your mind. Now, at each level he's been at, he's risen to the top. You start to wonder what he can do internationally.”
Greater aspirations
Grey said he will rest only until Wednesday before resuming his daily three-hour training regimen in preparation for the World Athletics Championships, which begin July 15. There still is plenty to work on and, in his estimation, obvious areas of improvement.
Henry explained some of the nuances involved in long jumping, including the transfer of horizontal speed into a clean vertical liftoff. Grey said his takeoffs weren’t always good and he often would launch “at weird angles.” Improvement there has been an emphasis in his training.
“He’s done a lot of work in the weight room as his body has matured,” the coach said. “He’s gotten bigger, stronger and faster, which helps build up that power for the liftoff. There’s also form and technique while in the air, which he’s worked a lot on.”
Even the wind, Henry said, factors into a long jump performance. On his career-best jump Friday, the coach said, Grey didn’t have a “favorable tailwind.” As well, he said, another coach told him that Grey could’ve gotten additional distance with a subtle tweak to his landing.
“They’re right,” Grey concurred. “I think I can go another foot. I want to be able to reach at least 27 feet. I still have a lot to get better at. I’m definitely not a finished product.”
Grey fell short of his Olympic dreams last summer, finishing 13th in a qualifier. That setback, he said, left him feeling “defeated and angry,” and questioning his abilities. It took a bit of soul-searching, but he found his resolve and evaluated himself. That eventually led to the technical changes.
“I wanted to come back and have things be different; I needed to show myself that I could do it,” he said. “A year ago, I wasn’t sure what direction I’d go in, but my confidence has risen a lot since then. I’ve been training almost nonstop and it’s starting to come through. It’s starting to work out the way I wanted it to.”
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4.
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Beacon's Rayvon Grey wins USATF Outdoor championship
