'); } -->
Kasen Covington is taking his high-flying act to international soil for the first time.
Covington, 17, won the triple jump at the 2009 USA Youth Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Tuesday. He beat a field of five other athletes with a jump of 48 feet, 4Ý inches. Phillip Young of Key West, Fla., finished second with a 48-0.
Covington, a two-time defending state high school champion at Capital and a former age-group national champ, will represent the United States at the 2009 IAAF World Youth Championships in Bressanone, Italy, on July 8-12.
He flies from Michigan to Italy on Saturday.
"I'm definitely excited. I'm trying not to get too nervous,'' Covington said. "I'm excited to see what competition is like at the international level.''
YMCA Team Idaho coach Tim Severa, who is in Michigan with Covington, said his jumper has a chance to medal in Italy.
"If he can hit the 50-foot jump that he's barely missing, that would get him in the top six,'' Severa said. "He's not that far out of it. He's definitely got a shot to place high.''
Covington will compete in the long jump on Wednesday morning in Ypsilanti.
Story Comments
We welcome comments but ask that you remain on topic. Some comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. Comments that are profane, personal attacks or otherwise inappropriate or are off topic are subject to removal. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Do not flag comments merely because you disagree with the comment.