Washington State University Athletics

Ian Campbell leaped from his home in Melbourne, Australia, to Pullman, Wash., into the WSU record book, finding success around the globe. Campbell captured back-to-back NCAA Indoor triple jump championships in 1977 and 1978. His 1977 indoor triple jump of 54-feet 3 inches broke the National Freshman Record which he improved in the outdoor season with a PR, school record and NCAA meet record leap of 54-8 3/4 for fourth place in an elite field. Campbell’s 1978 indoor title was punctuated with a Collegiate Record triple jump mark of 55-8 1/4 but a bout of mononucleosis shortened his spring training and he finished sixth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He won a silver medal at the 1978 Commonwealth Games and took the next year to prepare for the Olympics, garnering a bronze medal at the 1979 IAAF World Cup. At the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, Campbell’s spectacular 57-foot triple jump looked golden, but a Russian judge ruled he fouled, finishing out of medal contention. A heel injury sidelined Campbell in his senior seasons at WSU and he retired from competition at age 24.