The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH her parents on the sidelines cheering her on at the Nittany Lion Outdoor Track in University Park, Philadelphia, Danielle Gibson closed out her Big Ten Conference appearance as a women’s triple jump champion.

On the eve of Mother’s Day, Gibson leapt 13.76 metres or 45-feet, 1 ¾-inches to win the event and, in the process, produced the number one mark in Penn State’s history under all conditions as the wind was above the allowable 4.0 metres per second.

The performance came after Gibson clinched the Big Ten Indoor Championship title a couple months ago.

“It was a good performance. It was not only attributed to myself, but my family and my team that was there,” said Gibson, a senior majoring in biotechnology.

“It was a good performance. I’m really proud of it. It was a bit windy, but it was just me trying to stay composed, so I was really proud of it.”

Gibson admitted that she was so excited that she could have accomplished her feat with her parents on the sidelines watching.

“I had to adjust my approach because of the wind,” she said. “Once I did that, I did pretty well. I got to work on my second phase and it turned out quite well.

“It wasn’t just me. It was for my family and teammates. I just wanted to go out there and try and get as much points as I could for my team. Once I did that, I was quite pleased with my performance.”

Going into the remainder of her final year of college eligibility, Gibson said she’s looking forward to qualifying from the NCAA Regionals May 25-27 in Lexington, Kentucky before it’s on to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon June 7-10 where she hopes she can end it as an All-American or even the national champion.

Tami, her mother, said it was the greatest Mother’s Day present she’s has ever received.

“It was a bit nerve wrecking because I knew she was going up against some pretty good talent,” she said. “Seeing her from the first jump that she did, I knew she was ready for the competition.

“She went out there very confident. She was very confident in herself. With this being her senior year, she wanted to leave everything out there. She wanted to really make her presence felt here at Penn State.”

Her father Dwight Gibson said this was a trip they had planned from last year and he and his wife were just delighted to be there for the celebrations.

“When she hit the board, I knew it was a good jump,” said Gibson of his daughter’s opening leap that sealed the deal. “I was elated.

“From last year, we planned to make the trip especially with the championships being on their home turf. This was the first time that we saw her compete in a college meet. So it was fantastic.”

On Mother’s Day, the Gibson went out to dinner to celebrate a dual feat – Mother Day’s and the Big Ten Championship crown - with their 21-year-old daughter, who graduated from St Augustine’s College.