Caleb MereCaleb Mere tweaked his right hamstring muscle in practice last month, so the Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior didn't know what to expect at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor track meet March 14 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

He surprised himself.

Mere sailed 22 feet 1/2 inch to win the long jump on his only jump of the day and his first jump of the season.

"Really cool," he said at the time. "The first meet of the year, and I haven't jumped that often (in practice). I'm definitely really happy with it."

Mere placed third at the Class 4A state meet last year in the long jump at 21-8 1/2 and also placed third at the Drake Relays at 21-9 3/4, which until the MVC indoor meet was his personal best.

He credited a rigorous workout schedule this winter for getting him ready for the track season, with intense weightlifting and power squats, although that hamstring injury set him back a little.

"I pulled it about three to four weeks ago," he said March 14. "It pretty much feels stretched out now."

Mere jumped 22-0 1/2 on his first try. He barely scratched on his second attempt, negating a longer effort, then elected to pass on his third and fourth tries, knowing he'd already won the event to avoid the possibility of injury.

In between, Mere placed third in the 60-meter dash in 6.95 seconds.

Mere, 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, plans to run the 100, 200, shuttle hurdle relay and possibly the 400 during the outdoor track season. He has high hopes in the long jump.

"I'd like to get 23 (feet)," he said. "That would be a really good mark. It's out there, but it definitely would be a possibility."

He's been competing in the long jump since the seventh grade at Harding Middle School, where he said his primitive technique at the time was "kind of run and jump."

He's refined his technique at Kennedy and greatly enjoys the event.

"I like the combination of athletic ability," he said. "It's speed and jumping and agility."

Kenny Gilmore of Davenport Central won the Class 4A long jump at 22-3 3/4 last year, which was 5 1/2 inches better than Mere. Now that Mere has topped 22 feet, a state title could be within reach.

Mere helped Kennedy finish 10th in the 4x200 relay at the 2010 state meet in 1:30.01. Jed Haycraft also returns from that relay for the Cougars.

Kennedy took third in the shuttle hurdle relay at state last year in 57.06. Three of the hurdlers on that relay graduated, but Jacob Losch is back. Losch also finished eighth in the 400 low hurdles at state in 55.20 seconds.