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NEW YORK CITY -- Rayven Sample made history on the second day of the 2026 Toyota USATF Outdoor and Para National Championships, setting the T45 American record in the ambulatory long jump just 40 minutes after racing in the 400 dash. Sample ended Grayson Adams’ one-year reign as T45 American record holder.
“Opening and closing my season at Nationals was a wonderful experience,” Sample said. “I went into this meet with the singular goal of having fun and enjoying the sport; I accomplished that for sure.”
Sample finished seventh overall among 10 competitors, but he shattered the T45 American record with a best jump of 19 feet, 5 1/2 inches. He broke the record on each of his six attempts, beginning with a 18-1 3/4 leap and improving to 19-0 on his second attempt. His best mark came on his fourth jump.
“This meet was great and breaking the American record, it was really weird. I hit my first jump and the whole meet stops, the whole long jump event stops. I’m like, oh, wait, did I do something wrong? What’s going on? I’ve never really done it at this caliber of a meet before. All the guys are like, you just hit the American record and they’re all celebrating with me.”
Sample entered the event as frigid as a jumper could be. He had not jumped since his sophomore season at Bucknell and did not practice for this competition. Natural ability and his old style carried the day.
“I entered the event to watch my friends compete from on the track instead of the stands and somehow walked away with another notch on my belt.”
Adams jumped 14-0 1/4 last year in Grand Rapids. His reign as the American record holder lasted but a year before Sample, jumping in honor of his friend Dallas Wise, entered the history books.
Jarryd Wallace (T64) won the overall event with a jump of 24-11
Before his record-breaking long jump, Sample minted another gold medal in the T45 400-meter dash category after winning last year in Eugene. He won the T45 category in 51.34 seconds, nearly a full second faster than his qualifying time of 52.19, while finishing fourth overall in the combined classification field. Jayden Blackwell won the overall event in 47.23 seconds, setting a T38 record. Hunter Woodhall, who initially appeared to finish ahead of Blackwell, was disqualified after officials determined that his foam starting block violated the competition rules.