Christoff Bryan takes spot among K-State’s high jump champions

Christoff Bryan became the fourth Kansas State high jumper to win a national championship on Friday, but you wouldn’t know it based on the adoration he received afterward.

Much like Erik Kynard (2011, 2012), Scott Sellers (2007, 2009) and Nathan Leeper (1998) before him, Bryan was showered with congratulatory messages and phone calls. The Wildcats celebrated his victory at the NCAA outdoor championships in Eugene, Ore. like a first-time achievement.

“Everyone was excited for me, especially my mom,” Bryan said in a phone interview Saturday. “I can’t even tell you how many messages I got. I had to turn my phone off, because it wouldn’t stop beeping. It was just blowing up.”

He felt proud to uphold K-State’s tradition of excellence in the high jump.

“It’s a really good feeling,” Bryan said. “The last one was Erik in 2012 so it has been a little while since anyone has stepped up like this. I am glad I am the one that stepped up and put Kansas State’s name back at the top of the high jump and won the title.”

Bryan won the event with a jump of 7 feet, 3 inches. He cleared the bar on his second attempt, while Texas Tech’s Trey Culver needed three tries. When neither could jump over the bar when it was raised 1 1/4 inches higher, Bryan clinched the championship.

It was an interesting path to a title for Bryan. The junior from Kingston, Jamaica hadn’t been jumping up to expectations this spring, and he had several misses on his way to his winning jump on Friday. For the longest time, it seemed as though he would miss out on a trophy the same way he did in past trips to nationals, where he flirted with victory but kept coming up short.

This time, he came through when it mattered most.

“I knew I had my work cut out for me, but I kept telling myself, ‘I’m not going to lose this time. Not again,’ ” Bryan said. “It was just a mental thing for me. That’s what helped me win, more than anything.”

K-State track and field coach Cliff Rovelto was proud of Bryan.

“All that matters throughout the season is physically being ready and prepared to perform well at the NCAA Championships,” Rovelto said. “Christoff did just that. He is a gamer and came out and competed hard and got the job done.”

Winning a national championship showed Bryan that he can accomplish anything he puts his mind to.

He certainly put his mind to this.

“This has been my dream ever since I came to college,” Bryan said. “Coming here from Jamaica, this is the big competition I always pointed to. Winning this one was a main goal for me.”

This story was originally published June 10, 2017 at 5:27 PM with the headline "Christoff Bryan takes spot among K-State’s high jump champions."