Roland McGhee

Roland McGhee (born October 15, 1971) is an American former long jumper. His personal record mark of ranks him in the all-time top 25 for the event, as of 2016. He was a two-time national champion, winning both outdoors and indoors in 1998. He represented his country at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics and the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships. Also, a sprinter, he was a bronze medallist in the relay at the 1994 IAAF World Cup.

Career Born in Flint, Michigan, he competed sporadically in track and field events at a young age before settling on the long jump. Growing up in Ohio, he attended Trotwood-Madison High School but did not win any state high school titles. He began his higher studies at Middle Tennessee State University and competed athletically for the Blue Raiders.

While at Middle Tennessee, he was the long jump runner-up at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) level on three occasions, coming second at the 1993 NCAA Indoor Championships and the 1992 and 1994 NCAA Outdoors (to Erick Walder each time). He earned nine NCAA All-America honours during the period from 1990 to 1994. He also won four straight Ohio Valley Conference regional titles in the long jump and 100-meter dash, as well as three triple jump and two 200-meter dash titles. He was later inducted into the Blue Raiders Hall of Fame.

In terms of performance, McGhee entered the top ten jumpers nationally in the 1992 season with a jump of .

McGhee made his international debut for the United States at the 1994 IAAF World Cup. Teaming up with Mark Witherspoon, Marcel Carter, and Sam Jefferson, he took third in the 4 × 100-meter relay behind the British and African teams. This proved to be the only international podium finish of his career. He qualified for the 1995 World Championships in Athletics long jump after Carl Lewis withdrew, but failed to record a valid mark there after suffering a groin strain.

At the national level, he reached his first final in 1995 and finished in fourth place with a wind-assisted . This was the last time he broke eight meters in a competition; however, he was fourth at the national championships in 1999 and 2002 and seventh at the 2000 United States Olympic Trials.

Personal records Long jump – 8.51 m (1995) Long jump indoors – 8.28 m (1995) 55-meter dash – 6.45 sec (2001) 60-meter dash – 6.75 sec (1998) 100-meter dash – 10.41 sec (1994) 200-meter dash – 20.4 sec (1994) 4 × 100-meter relay – 39.33 sec (1994)

All information from All Athletics

International competitions

National titles USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships Long jump: 1998 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships Long jump: 1998