Inika McPherson
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | United States |
| Born |
September 29, 1986 Port Arthur, Texas |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event(s) | High jump |
| College team | Cal Bears |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | High jump: 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
Medal record
| |
| Updated on August 2016. | |
Inika McPherson (born September 29, 1986 in Port Arthur, Texas is an American track and field athlete specializing in the high jump. She was the 2013 and 2014 US Indoor champion.[1] She also won the women's high jump at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships by clearing 2.00 for the first time, but was later disqualified for an anti-doping rule violation.[2] McPherson is usually easy to spot, with tattoos and a variety of hairstyles and mohawks to keep her boldly as a fashion leader.[3]
Professional
She has represented the United States at the 2007 Pan American Games, the 2011 and 2013 World Championships and the 2012 and 2014 World Indoor Championships. Her improvements have been in bursts. She moved into the rarefied air of elite competition by going 1.95 at the 2012 Mt. SAC Relays, still finishing second to the eventual Olympic silver medalist Brigetta Barrett.[4] But McPherson didn't make it to the Olympics, not even clearing the bar in qualifying at the Olympic Trials later that year, due to a 6 mm tear in her right quad. She was told not to compete by her doctor but did anyway. [5]
Doping sanction
McPherson tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite of cocaine, at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and subsequently accepted a 21-month doping ban through March 2016.[2]
NCAA
Her next stop was the University of California, Berkeley where she set the school indoor record and was a three time NCAA All American, though she didn't get back to the range of her 6'2" from high school. Due to an injury she battled with during her years at Cal which caused her to have ankle surgery on her take off foot in 2008. In 2009 McPherson came off ankle surgery and captured the Pac 10 Championship title and named female Athlete of the year at the University of California. [6]
Prep
She was a 2005 graduate of Memorial High School, of Port Arthur, Texas[7] where she was freshman state champion and a six foot high jumper as a freshman in high school. McPherson shares the freshman high school record with Amy Acuff 6 ft. Was also named ESPN female high jumper of the decade.[8][9] Her high school best was 6'2" (1.87 m).[10] She also excelled in the triple jump and lettered in four sports, was Texas University Interscholastic League All-State and carried a 5.0 GPA.[11]
Lesbian relationship
In 2014, she and female athlete Regina George are open about their relationship on their social medias[12]
References
- ↑ usatf.org retrieved 2nd July 2014
- 1 2 USADA: US Track & Field Athlete, McPherson, Accepts Sanction For Rule Violation, usada.org, 19 December 2014
- ↑ http://spikes-mag.tumblr.com/post/53939305533/the-hair-style-and-ink-of-inika-mcpherson
- ↑ http://flashwest.com/12Meets/12MtSacRelays/120419F245.htm
- ↑ http://www.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2012/U-S--Olympic-Team-Trials-TF/Results.aspx
- ↑ University of California, Berkeley record book
- ↑ "Two Port Arthur natives to compete in women's high jump at U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Thursday". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved=August 5, 2016
- ↑ ESPN female high jumper of the decade ESPN.go.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ↑ AOC Raleigh adidas Outdoor Championships June 18-19, 2004 at NC State U., Raleigh NC presented by the National Scholastic Sports Foundation a DyeStat featured meet Dyestat.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ↑ Inika Mcpherson University of California Port Arthur Memorial Berkley, CA, USA Milesplit.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ↑ Inika McPherson Bio - The University of California Official Athletic Site calbears.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
- ↑ www.bellanaija.com/, "Meet 23-Year-Old Nigerian-Venezuelan Commonwealth Games Sprinter Regina George & Her Partner", 07/2014
