The Horizontal Jumps: What`s Important and How to Implement

The Coach

Nic Petersen

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Nic Petersen, who enters his 10th season with the Gators and his first as associate head coach for the men’s program, has made his own imprint on one of the nation’s historically elite jumps programs.

The Gators have continued their extraordinary run of success in the jumps under Petersen, 18 men’s and women’s NCAA titles since his arrival in 2013, including four from Jasmine Moore in 2022, two from Yanis David in 2019, three from KeAndre Bates in 2017 and seven from Marquis Dendy (2012-15).

Petersen has been a part of eight National Championship teams and seven SEC Championship teams since his arrival to the program.

During his tenure, Petersen’s jumps group have won 18 national championships and 24 SEC championships.

Petersen led the Florida women to 78 points in the horizontal jumps between both conference meets in 2022.

Jasmine Moore put on a historic performance during the 2022 Indoor Season, becoming the first woman in NCAA history to win conference and national championships in both the Long Jump and Triple Jump in the same indoor season. She also has won SEC Outdoor Titles in the Long Jump and Triple Jump.

Moore's historic season culminated in the NCAA Outdoor Championship in the Long Jump and Triple Jump.

Under Petersen's guidance, she became the first woman in NCAA history to win four conference and four national titles in the horizontal jumps during the same calendar year.

In 2015, Marquis Dendy won The Bowerman following his successful Florida career under Petersen’s leadership. From 2012-2015, Dendy won seven National Championships in the Long Jump and Triple Jump. His historic 2015 season saw him take all four national titles in the Long Jump and Triple Jump.

As well, Petersen coached Yanis David to a pair of National Championships in 2019. She swept the SEC Indoor and Outdoor titles in the Long Jump and Triple Jump before winning two national titles in the same year.

Her performances earned her a spot as a finalist of The Bowerman, the first woman in Florida history to accomplish that feat.

Petersen also oversaw KeAndre Bates and Grant Holloway as they became the second pair of teammates in Division I history to post a 1-2 finish in the men’s long jump at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Since his coaching career began as a volunteer assistant at the University of Nebraska in 2008, Petersen has coached nine different athletes to 22 national titles, and 18 of them were won by Gators. Marquis Dendy and KeAndre Bates put themselves in rare company as collegians, becoming two of the seven men in Division I history to sweep the horizontal jumps titles at NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Following the 2021 season, Petersen was promoted to the role of Associate Head Coach alongside Mellanee Welty.