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Jun 08, 2023

Allen’s triple jump state title means new tattoo for coach Bailey

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Edwardsville's Malik Allen and Gino Montgomery pose on the podium after taking first and third in the triple jump at the Class 3A state track and field meet on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University.

Edwardsville jumps coach Carry Bailey greets Malik Allen after Allen won the Class 3A triple jump state title on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University with a personal-record and program-record jump of 14.87 meters.

Edwardsville junior Malik Allen won the Class 3A triple jump state title on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University with a personal-record and program-record jump of 14.87 meters.

Edwardsville's Malik Allen and Gino Montgomery share a laugh together at the podim after Allen won the Class 3A triple jump state title and Montgomery took third.

Edwardsville's Gino Montgomery hugs Malik Allen after Allen won the Class 3A triple jump state title on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University with a personal-record and program-record jump of 14.87 meters. Montgomery took third.

Edwardsville sophomore Gino Montgomery yells in excitement after teammate Malik Allen won the Class 3A triple jump state title on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University with a personal-record and program-record jump of 14.87 meters. Montgomery took third.

Edwardsville sophomore Gino Montgomery took third in the triple jump at the Class 3A state track and field meet on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University.

Edwardsville coach Chad Lakatos hugs Malik Allen after Allen won the Class 3A triple jump state title on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University with a personal-record and program-record jump of 14.87 meters.

Edwardsville junior Malik Allen won the Class 3A triple jump state title on Saturday at Eastern Illinois University with a personal-record and program-record jump of 14.87 meters.

CHARLESTON – Malik Allen was down to his final jump on Saturday and sitting in second place in the triple jump at the Class 3A state track and field meet at Eastern Illinois University.

With a state title on the line, the Edwardsville junior saved his best for last.

"I wasn't really nervous, but I just had to pull off what I could do," Allen said. "And that's what I did."

Allen had a personal record and state championship winning leap of 14.87 meters to win the Class 3A triple jump state title.

"When I heard the judge say 14.87 (meters), I was shocked," EHS jumps coach Carry Bailey said. "I hope I didn't embarrass myself in front of the other coaches. I was pretty excited. I think they understand because that was a pretty special moment."

It is the first state championship in the triple jump for EHS since Kevin Mosby won in 1982. Allen was just an inch shy of matching Mosby's program-record triple jump mark of 14.90 meters.

"It means a lot," Allen said about being a part of EHS history. "I set a goal. I said that was something I wanted to do. I wanted to set history and do my best. That's what I did."

On the way to Charleston for the state meet, Allen texted Bailey on the bus and told him the goal was to jump 14.65 meters.

Allen was comfortably in second after his first three jumps, which included a jump of 14.20 meters until Downers Grove North jumper Vince Davero leaped past him with a jump of 14.43 meters.

Ahead of Allen's last jump, Bailey leaned over the fence and told Allen a story from earlier in his coaching career that had the same situation.

When Bailey was coaching at DuQuoin in 2006 – his alma mater where was a state medalist in the triple jump in 1999 – he entered the Class 1A state track and field meet with the No. 1 triple jumper in the state, Ridge Thompson.

Thompson was down to his last jump and in second place until he had a triple jump of 14.29 meters on his last attempt to win the state title.

Bailey told Allen it was his favorite moment of his coaching career, and that Allen had the opportunity to make it happen again.

"It happened again," Bailey said.

After Allen had his 14.87-meter jump to win the state title, Bailey jumped over the fence in excitement to embrace Allen and celebrate. Bailey told Allen it was his new favorite moment of his coaching career.

"This 48-foot range (14.6 meters) is kind of what we expected coming into the year," Bailey said. "Here we are."

Because of the state title, Bailey has an obligation to fulfill.

Bailey has a bet with all of his jumpers that he’ll get a stick figure tattoo of them if they win a state championship. Bailey already has one stick figure tattoo on his left ankle of Fontez Davis, who won the Class 3A long jump state title in 2015 for EHS.

Now, Bailey will get a stick figure tattoo of Allen and his dreads blowing in the wind.

"I’ve probably had 30 people text me and ask when I’m getting the tattoo," Bailey said.

After Allen had his giant leap to win the state title, Bailey texted his wife that it was time to get a new tattoo. She knew that it meant Allen had become the state champion.

"I worked hard for this," Allen said. "I went through the process."

As a freshman, Allen didn't advance past the preliminary round and took 15th in the triple jump. As a sophomore last year, Allen medaled with a seventh-place finish.

"It was my time now to get first," Allen said. "I worked hard for it."

The state title was the culmination of somewhat of a frustrating outdoor track season for Allen, who won the indoor triple jump state title at the Class 3A Illinois Top Times Championships.

Throughout the season, Allen battled a number of injuries, which came from him playing AAU basketball during the spring.

Allen didn't even jump at the Southwestern Conference Meet because of a rolled ankle he suffered.

"I think if he would’ve been healthy and he would’ve been jumping at conference, we would’ve seen bigger marks much sooner," Bailey said. "It's tough to balance two sports in one season. He's a talented basketball player too. We work with him and he works with us. Obviously, he does okay."

During the season, Allen took first at the Winston Brown Invite and the Edwardsville Sectional, and second at the Triad Invite. Those were the only three meets Allen jumped in ahead of the state meet.

Despite the injuries, Allen had Bailey and fellow triple-jumper Gino Montgomery pushing him throughout the season.

"He's helped us a ton," Allen said about Bailey. "He pushes us every day in practice. He knows we want to get better, so that makes him want to help us even more. We take advantage of that."

Allen was joined by Montgomery on the podium at the state meet.

Montgomery, a sophomore, took third in the triple jump on Saturday with a personal-record mark of 14.09 meters.

"It means a lot," Montgomery said about his first state medal. "It means my work this season has paid off a little bit. It's good to be right next to my teammate Malik, a state champion."

Allen added, "It was good (to see Montgomery medal). I knew he worked hard for it. I pushed him a lot in practice. He did what he was supposed to do. That's all we can ask for."

During the season, Montgomery took first at the EHS freshman/sophomore Invite and was the SWC champion in the triple jump.

"It's wonderful," Bailey said about Montgomery's third-place finish. "I don't know how many times I’ve had coaches come up and tell me he's close. Everyone saw it coming. He's exactly where (Allen) was this time last year. It's awesome to have two 46-foot (14.02 meters) sophomore triple jumpers in consecutive years."

After Allen landed his state championship winning jump, Montgomery was right there to tackle him and yell in excitement.

"It was something great to see," Montgomery said. "You see all the work we put in come to fruition. All you can do is smile and be happy."