BY PAUL SCHWARTZ
STAFF WRITER | THE RECORD
PHILADELPHIA — For most people, a third-place finish in their first Penn Relays championship might be the highlight of their track and field year.
And Kaitlin Salisbury was moderately happy with a third-place finish in the triple jump Thursday with a jump of 39 feet, 2¼ inches in less-than-ideal conditions.
But a few minutes after she finished, she was introduced to nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis and that’s what really lit up the Hawthorne star’s day.
“I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t have better jumps after the 39,” said Salisbury, who lost to Veronika Karpenko of State College, Pa. by just three inches. “But meeting Carl Lewis was better than anything I’ve ever done in track. It definitely made the day better.”
Lewis, who now coaches at the University of Houston, won a pair of New Jersey state Meet of Champions titles in the long jump before his legendary Olympic career.
“To meet him, someone who’s done what he’s done in the sport, is unbelievably thrilling,” said the senior, headed for Bucknell University next year.
But what Salisbury did Thursday was remarkable, even though she was nearly a foot behind her personal best.
