On June 13, 2014, then-junior Bryan McBride won the men’s high jump at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships. His win was ASU’s first national championship in men’s high jump since 1977.
Now in his senior season, McBride is looking to defend his national championship and possibly shoot for even higher goals in the near future.
McBride was not a nationally ranked high jumper and was not considered to have a chance to win when he pulled off the upset in last year’s nationals. The status of being overlooked was something that powered McBride in the championships.
“I was coming in as kind of the underdog so that took a lot of pressure off of me to perform for everyone," McBride said. "It was more of a time for me to just do what I can do and be calm and collected, let the jumps come instead of being pressured about doing well and maintaining my spot in nationals.”
Entering 2015, other competitors now know when competing against McBride that he is the reigning champion in the event. But that isn’t the thing that bothers him the most about the attention from last year. In his eyes, his biggest competitor is himself.
“I’ve never competed before being the national champion of anything so the fact that I’m doing it this year has put a little bit of pressure on me," McBride said. "I put a little more pressure on myself than I need to.”
McBride has had moderate success so far during the indoor season. He won first place at the NAU Tune Up last Friday in Flagstaff with a jump of 2.15 meters and finished third at the New Mexico Invitational earlier this season with a season best 2.16 meters. His full skills will be on display when the outdoor season begins on March 20-21 at the Baldy Castillo Invitational in Tempe.
McBride has stated that while his immediate goals are to make it to the NCAA indoor championships, the long-term season goal is to try and extend the personal best 2.28m (7-5.75ft) that won him the outdoor title last year.
The dream does not stop in Tempe for McBride, though. Being a fifth-year senior, McBride definitely desires to continue competing in high jump after school is over.
“I definitely want to compete professionally and just try to make it to the Olympics in 2016 so I think for the next year and a half to two years I’ll be doing that,” he said.
Although he is a national champion and all-American high jumper, McBride is still just a college student who enjoys playing poker, shooting pool and watching anime. Hawaiian on his mother’s side, McBride also enjoys listening to relaxing Hawaiian music while also occasionally listening to hip-hop and rap. McBride is also a big movie guy who enjoys watching any movies, specifically action and Marvel superhero movies.
He looks to continue an absolutely successful collegiate career as a member of Sun Devil track and field. Much like the heroes and heroines on the screen, he can fly. Except when he does it, it’s over the bar for national championships.
Reach the reporter at tjwilkin@asu.edu or follow @Twilkins23 on Twitter.
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