Cave Spring jumper breaks prestigious record

The triple jump record was previously 44 feet, 7 inches

ROANOKE, VA – He's a football player in fall but a track star in the spring. Senior Jason White is an all-around athlete who has challenged himself to get better every year.

"I really just wanted to get to state because when I was a freshman and sophomore I always missed it by like an inch or so," White said.

He was a wide receiver and cornerback for coach Tim Fulton but suffered an ankle injury. That sidelined him for the rest of the season but White didn't let that set him back. He drew inspiration from his older sister, Taylor, who overcame two knee surgeries and returned to the track a year ago. She has since gone on to play basketball and run track for Lynchburg College.

"We always competed with each other because at one point she was faster than me when I was younger then I was like  'That's not happening.' She's big. She went through a lot and now she's exactly where she wants to be so I want to be the same way," said White.

"Great family. Mom, dad, sister obviously. They are just a hard working group of people and they are very coachable in doing what you ask them to do," said Derrick Hollins, Cave Spring track coach.

In addition to following in the footsteps of his sister when it comes to athletics, White says he also wanted to leave his own mark. That's exactly what he did during the indoor season, where he broke the triple jump record set by none other than Tiki Barber.

"I yelled out  'I broke it,' and the crowd was cheering and they all asked me 'What happened?' and I was like 'I broke his record. I broke Tiki Barber's record," White said.

The former NFL star even reached out to White on Instagram, congratulating him on the feat and encouraging him to do the same during the outdoor season. In the Knights Track Classic, he finished first with a jump of 43 feet, 11 inches.


"He's a very talented athlete no doubt but he'll take the things you say to heart and try to do anything you tell him to do and does it," Hollins said.

White doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. Last week he signed to continue his track career at Shenandoah University in the fall.

"I always wanted to be that one person that keeps going in sports to the next level and I'm literally living my dream right now."

In other words, he's following the path of his sister while writing his own name in the history books.