OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Imani Skanes recently made history as the first national champion in any sport for College of Saint Mary by winning the NAIA indoor long jump title.
The freshman jumper, an Omaha Northwest graduate who won three state track titles — two in triple jump and one in long jump — leaped her way into the Flames' record book during her first college indoor season.
"The moment I landed is the moment I knew like the jump was really good because I heard everybody in the stands like, 'Oh! Yes!' Skanes said.
College of Saint Mary track and field head coach Steve Gordon said the historic achievement took a second to sink in.
"One of our assistant coaches that was standing next to me said, 'I think we have a national champion.' And... it hadn't quite registered yet. I'm like, 'Oh my goodness, we do!" Gordon said.
Skanes has been jumping since she was 7 years old, and her hard work over the past 12 years paid off on the national stage.
"(The) feeling of running down the runway or knowing you hit the board a certain way to where you know it's gonna be a great jump and then the moment when you land... it's just all about the feeling of it," Skanes said on why she enjoys jumping so much.
"(I'm) honestly pretty proud to know that I was able to represent the school and as well as myself," she said.
Gordon noted the importance of a local athlete achieving this level of success.
"We have some phenomenal athletes right here in our city, in our state, so for someone at home to prove that once again, it was a huge deal," Gordon said.
As the outdoor season begins, Skanes is looking to improve while keeping the sport fun.
"It's going to be days that's going to be fun," she said. "It's going to be days that's going to be challenging, but you're going to get there as long as you keep your head up and you strive for what you want to do and what you want to get out of that," Skanes said.
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