No. 3 All-Time Triple Jumper Makes College Choice

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

In a week where the chance at a national indoor triple jump title and record was lost, and now, uncertainty whether an outdoor track season will take place, Sean Dixon-Bodie found a reason to celebrate.

Tuesday afternoon, on his 18th birthday, the Bloomfield High CT senior announced his commitment to continue his track and field career at Louisiana State University. 

“I was devastated about nationals,” Dixon-Bodie said. “So finally getting to sign and commit to a college … it raised my spirits a lot. I chose LSU because the coaching is great, the team atmosphere is great, especially when I went on that visit. I just know this is going to be a good choice for me.” 

The No. 1 prep triple jumper in the country this past indoor season, Dixon-Bodie was set to go after the 1988 national record of 52-7.50 (16.04m) and also run in the 4x200 relay at the New Balance National Indoor Championships at The Armory in New York.

Due to the rising Coronavirus pandemic threat, the meet was cancelled, abruptly ending the season. He finished the season as the No. 3 all-time prep jumper with a mark of 52-1.75 (15.89m), achieved at the 113th NYRR Millrose Games in February.

“We never really focused on the record, but I think Sean did a good job of solidifying himself as one of the top three jumpers of all-time,” Bloomfield jumps coach Maurice Calenda said. “So we’re not really mad about it, but it definitely would have been a good opportunity to go and try and break it. (But) he got over it pretty quickly especially because we didn’t focus on it that much.”

For Calenda, he said the message to Dixon-Bodie and the other Bloomfield student-athletes was to focus on the entirety of a highly successful season.

The Bloomfield boys track and field team finished the season as the Class S champion and State Open champions. Dixon-Bodie won the Class S long jump (22-9.25) and high jump (6-6) crowns and claimed the Open high jump (6-4) title. He also finished the season with the state indoor triple jump record, despite it not being a sanctioned state event. 

“We don’t view nationals as an end all, be all,” Calenda said. “We got through our season and we were able to win a state championship as a team, and Sean was able to win a couple class championships for the team. It’s not really a lost season when you look at the bigger picture. Yes, we would have loved to have won a national championship and have the title of the best triple jumper indoor, but at the end of the day we compete to get better. The titles come with competing.”

Dixon-Bodie will likely find out the fate of his outdoor track season this week as the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference is set to hold a teleconference Wednesday morning to discuss the spring scholastic sports season.

Earlier this month, the CIAC was one of the first states in the country to cancel the remainder of the winter sports championship season due to the spread of COVID-19. Currently all public schools in Connecticut are closed until at least March 31. 

“Right now we’re going to remain optimistic that we do get a chance to compete,” Calenda said. “But if not, we are going to figure out a way to train. Hopefully summer track will be available to us, because we do have a goal to try out for the USATF U20 team if that actually happens.”

For all the unknowns right now, Calenda is certain Dixon-Bodie made the right decision on LSU. Dixon-Bodie picked the Tigers over Kentucky, Georgia and Arizona State. He joins a blockbuster recruiting class for LSU that includes fellow jumper Jieem Bullock, weight thrower Monique Hardy, hurdler Leah Phillips and sprinter Sean Burrell. 

“He's going to fit right in with those kids,” Calenda said. “When he went on his visit they made a good impression on him. They made him feel like family. So with that being said, he's going to give it his all, and he’s going to contribute right away, especially in the triple jump. It’s going to be big. He’s a contributor right away, and I can’t wait to see him compete in the purple and gold.”