Cornell University Athletics

At Cornell
Sometimes, figuring out exactly how much training and practice and athlete can handle is a complex puzzle that takes time. As a sophomore Pierce had scored at the HEPS and qualified for the IC4A’s but too much jumping left him out in the cold with a recurrent stress fracture in his take-off foot. At the end of his junior year Jay Pierce finally found the right balance. His outstanding outdoor season may have been overshadowed by the incredible jumping of school record holding and All-American teammate Garrett Huyler but Pierce emerged as a threat in his own right by scoring at the Penn Relays in April with a pr. In May he followed that up with another pr finishing 5th at the HEPS and then gaining a 5th at the IC4A’s with a yet another pr of 2.07m (6’9 ½”) narrowly missing the next height which would have qualified him for the NCAA Regionals. Jay will be called upon to lead the high jumpers in 2010 but he more ready than ever and has his sights and springs set on 7’0 and a spot at the Regionals.

Before Cornell
Pierce scored in the high jump at the Ohio state championships and was nationally ranked ninth as a senior. He was a four-time state qualifier and was a three-time all-conference selection.

Personal
Jay Benjamin Pierce is the son of John and Christy Pierce and has a brother who is a member of the track and field team at North Carolina. He is enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.