Erik Kynard, Jr.
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GENERAL INFORMATION
Born: February 3, 1991
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
College: Kansas State University
Height: 6-4
Event: High Jump
PB: 2.37m
Sponsor: Nike Jordan
ABOUT ERIK
Erik Kynard continues to prove why he is one of the top high jumpers in the world. In 2015, he defended and won his third USA Outdoor and second Indoor title. In 2014 Kynard won his first USA Indoor title and second USA Outdoor title. He matched his personal best at the Doha Diamond League event jumping 2.37m/7-91/4. In 2013 Kynard claimed his first USA Outdoor Championship in addition to becoming one of only seven American man to ever clear 2.37m/7-9¼. At just 21 years old during the London Olympic Games, Erik Kynard proved both his ability in the high jump and his composure. With 2011 world champion Jesse Williams out of the competition, Kynard was certain Team USA didn't miss a beat by securing silver and dramatically help the U.S. to its 29 total medals. A prodigy in the high jump, Erik Kynard qualified for the 2008 Olympic Trials as a 17-year-old high school athlete. As a high school senior, Kynard won both the 2009 Nike Outdoor and Indoor Championships in the high jump with clearances of 2.22m/7-3.25 and 2.21m/7-3. To go along with those victories, he was also a two-time Ohio state champion in the high jump. After a successful career at Rogers High School in Toledo, Ohio, Kynard went onto Kansas State University to compete under the tutelage of head coach Cliff Rovelto. During his freshman year at Kansas State, Kynard posted a season best of 2.23m/7-3.75 to finish second at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. He improved dramatically as a sophomore – winning the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Kynard then placed third at the USA Outdoor Championships and punched his ticket to the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea. Just a few days following his Olympic silver medal, Kynard appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman.
Erik is the son of Erik Kynard and Brandynn Adams. Kynard has six sisters and two brothers.
USA/World Rankings and Personal Bests
2014: Indoor Bests - 2.34/7-8 ¼ (No. 5 in the world); Outdoor Bests - 2.37/7-9 ¼ (No. 1 in the USA, No. 5 in the World, ranked No. 5 in the World by T&FN)
2013: Indoor bests - 2.33/7-7¾ (No. 2 in the USA, No. 6 in the World); Outdoor bests - 2.37/7-9¼ (No. 1 in the USA, No. 4 in the World, ranked No. 4 in the World by T&FN)
2012: Indoor bests – 2.31m/7-7 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 9 in the world); Outdoor bests – 2.34m/7-8 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 7 in the world, ranked No. 2 in the USA & ranked No. 6 in the world by T&FN)
2011: Indoor bests – 2.33m/7-7.75 (No. 2 in the USA, No. 6 in the world); Outdoor bests – 2.31m/7-7 (No. 4 in the USA, No. 16 in the world, ranked No. 3 in the USA by T&FN)
2010: Indoor bests – 2.23m/7-3.75 (No. 13 in the USA); Outdoor bests – 2.25m/7-4.5 (No. 9 in the USA, No. 49 in the world)
2009: Indoor bests – 2.25m/7-4.25 (No. 7 in the USA, No. 42 in the world); Outdoor bests – 2.22m/7-3.25 (No. 18 in the USA)
2008: Indoor bests – 2.23m/7-3.75 (No. 7 in the USA)
USA Championships
2015 USA Outdoor Champion (2.37m/7-91/4)
2015 USA Indoor Champion (2.34m/7-8)
2014 USA Outdoors Champion (2.35m/7-8.50)
2014 USA Indoors champion (2.30m/7-6.50)
2013 USA Outdoors champion (2.28/7-5.75)
2012 Olympic Trials runner-up (2.28m/7-5.75)
Third at 2011 USA Outdoors (2.28m/7-5.75)
International Championships
2012 Olympic silver medalist (2.33m/7-7.75)
2009 Pan American Junior silver medalist (2.10m/6-10.75)
Collegiate Championships
Two-time NCAA Outdoor champion - 2011 (2.29m/7-6); 2012 (2.34m/7-8)
NCAA Runner Up - 2013 (2.31m/7-7)
Big 12 Outdoor Champion - 2013 (2.30/7-6.5)
3rd twice at NCAA Indoors - 2012 (2.20m/7-2.5); 2013 (2.29m/7-6)
Two-time Big 12 Indoor champion - 2012 (2.27m/7-5.25); 2013 (2.31m/7-7)
RESULTS
2014: 3rd place in High Jump (2.37/ 7-9¼) at Doha; 3rd place at Roma (2.31m/ 7ft 6 15⁄16in); 6th place at Lausanne (2.32m/ 7ft 7 11⁄32in); 4th place at Monaco (2.34m/ 7ft 8 1⁄8in);
2013: 2nd at Lausanne (2.37/7-9.25); 2nd at Birmingham (2.34/7-8); USA Outdoors champion (2.28/7-5.75); 2nd at NCAA Outdoors (2.31m/7-7); 2nd at Perfontaine (2.36/7-8.75); 1sr at NCAA West Regional (2.16/7-1); Big 12 Outdoor champion (2.30/7-6.5); 1st at Mt. SAC Relays (2.34/7-8); Big 12 Indoor champion (2.31m/7-7); 3rd at NCAA Indoors (2.29m/7-6); 1st at Wildcat Invitational (2.29m/7-6); 1st at Ames Bill Bergan Invitational (2.24m/7-4.25); 1st at Manhattan KSU Open (2.33m/7-7.75)
2012: Olympic Games silver medalist (2.33m/7-7.75); Olympic Trials runner-up (2.28m/7-5.75); Outdoor NCAA champion (2.34m/7-8); Big 12 Outdoor champion (2.21m/7-3); 4th at NCAA Indoor (2.20m/7-2.5); Big 12 Indoor champion (2.27m/7-5.25); 1st at Ames Bill Bergan Invitational (2.25m/7-4.5); 1st at Albuquerque New Mexico Classic (2.31m/7-7); 4th in Monaco (2.30m/7-6.5)
2011: 3rd at USA Outdoors (2.28/7-5.75); NCAA Outdoor champion (2.29m/7-6); 1st at Big 12 Outdoors (2.27m/7-5.25); 1st at Drake Relays (2.31m/7-7); 1st at Texas Relays (2.28m/7-5.75); 3rd at NCAA Indoors (2.20m/7-2.5); 14th at World Outdoors (2.28m/7-5.75).
2010: 6th at NCAA Outdoors (2.17m/7-1.5); 1st at the Jim Click Shootout (2.25m/7-4.5); 3rd at USA Junior Outdoors; 2nd at Big 12 Indoors (2.23m/7-3.75); 1st at NCAA West Regional (2.15m/7-01); 1st at adidas Classic indoor (2.19m/7-02.25); 1st at Tyson Invitational (2.19m/7-02.50)