Marquis Dendy

Marquis Dendy (born November 17, 1992) is an American track and field athlete, primarily known for horizontal jumping events. He is the 2015 National Champion in the Long jump. His winning jump, of, though wind aided at +3.7mps, his first jump of the competition, was the longest jump in the world under any conditions in over 5 years. He grew up in Middletown, Delaware.

Injury forced long-jumper Dendy out of Rio Olympics.

NCAA
Dendy just had completed his final season at the University of Florida, where he won the 2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in both the long jump and the triple jump, defending his 2014 championships in the same events. He accomplished the same double at the 2015 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, setting the meet record in the triple jump. His first NCAA Championship was the 2013 Indoor Championship in the long jump.

High school
Marquis Dendy competed for Middletown High School in Middletown, Delaware where he set the state records in long jump 25 ft and triple jump 52 ft. After high school he competed for the US in the 2012 NACAC Under-23 Championships in Athletics, winning the gold medal in the long jump. He had previously experienced international competition as a 17-year-old in the 2010 World Junior Championships in Athletics where he finished 8th in the triple jump.

Personal
He grew up in a sporting family: his father was a sprinter at high school while his mother Dionne was a collegiate sprinter. His aunt Terri Dendy was a sprint relay medalist at the 1993 World Championships in Athletics. He shared the Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association's award as Delaware's Outstanding Athlete of 2014.