LaFayette alum wins a pair of Pac 12 track titles with Oregon.
Former LaFayette High School state long jump champion Damarcus Simpson, who went on to become a two-time NCAA Division II outdoor national champion and a twotime indoor runner-up while competing for Chadron State (Neb.), is proving what he can do at the highest levels of NCAA track.
Simpson, who transferred to national track powerhouse Oregon this past fall, helped the Ducks to an 11th consecutive conference championship at the recent Pac 12 Championships in Eugene, Oregon.
The ex-Rambler won the long jump, was part of the winning 4x100 relay team and finished a surprising second in the 100 meters.
Simpson, who told GoDucks.com that he had been dealing with a knee problem, decided to make just one of six possible attempts in the long jump. He fouled on his initial jump, but opted for one more attempt to try and get on the board.
He hit 7.95 meters (26-feet, 1-inch) on the second attempt before passing on his final four attempts. As it turned out, 26-1 turned out to be enough to win the conference crown by two inches.
Simpson went on to qualify for the finals of the 100, clocking in at
10.45 seconds. He ran a 10.27 in the finals, finishing second to teammate Kyree King’s 10.09.
Simpson also teamed up with King, Julius Shellmire and Marcus Chambers to win the 4x100. They ran a 39.86 in qualifying before a blazing 39.17 in the finals.
Oregon’s men’s team ended up with 175 points to win the title, followed by USC (115.5) and UCLA (101) in the top three.
Simpson and the Ducks will now head to Austin, Texas this weekend for the NCAA West Regionals as he will look to qualify for the NCAA Championships. The NCAA’s will be held at Oregon June 7-10.