University of Richmond Photo
If you had told Molly Wise at the beginning of the season that not only would she win the Atlantic 10 indoor and outdoor long jump championships but also qualify for the NCAA Championships she would not have believed it.
“I would have just laughed it off but I am very grateful for this opportunity,” Wise said Thursday on WPBK-FM.
The Richmond University junior placed ninth in the long jump at the NCAA East Regionals with a leap of 20 feet, 1/4 inch to earn a spot at the NCAA Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon on June 12. The former Boyle County High School state long jump and triple jump champion will be the first Spider to compete at the NCAA Championships since 2021.
She will be one of 24 jumpers competing June 12 at 8:40 p.m. EST with the top nine going to the finals. ESPN will televise the championships that night.
“I think this is one of those very special experiences. I will be taking in all the excitement but also be in awe of being on Hayward Field,” Wise said. “I have expectations. I am not going not to perform my best. I still have high expectations and really want to make something good happen.”
Wise knows her best jump at the NCAA Regional came from about six inches behind the board and that’s why she did not “have my best day” distance-wise even though she qualified for nationals.
“My goal was to get in the top 12 (to qualify for nationals) and beat as many people as I could. That’s what I did and I am happy with that. You always have milestones and goals but when you reach them, you are on to the next one. Expectations change very quickly. I am looking for the 21-foot mark,” Wise said.
She’s had to experiment this season with how to best style her hair during competition.
“I had a couple of accidents with my hair marked behind me in the sand (pit) and a couple of jumps I lost two or three feet (of distance),” she said. “I think I will go with braids and a bun to keep that from happening again.”
Wise is the only athlete left on the Richmond campus still competing and hopes what she’s doing will draw attention to Richmond track.
“I hope this is helping people realize they need to take the track program seriously and that we are not just a basketball school but also a track school. I want to bring awareness to our brand here, too,” she said.
Wise didn’t join the Boyle track team until her junior year. She always believed she would be a collegiate volleyball player and played travel volleyball. She was also a tennis player before a knee injury ended that. She won 14 meets in either the long jump or triple jump in 2022, her first full year of track.
“I went into track for fun. I was a volleyball player,” she said. “My junior year (in high school) was a big learning curve with the long and triple jumps. I started getting recruited and had schools interested in me for track. My senior year I was struggling with some minor hamstring pulls and tears but did win state.
“My freshman year at Richmond I had a meniscus tear that did not go away. I had it operated on twice by the middle of my sophomore year and that knocked me out of track for 1 1/2 years. Last year was my first full outdoor season but it went well and this year I got a full season and am proud of how I have done so far.”
Wise, a pre-med student, will be eligible for an extra season of eligibility if she chooses that option after the 2026 season ends. She will continue to discuss that option with her coaches while completing her psychology degree with a minor in leadership.
Today she’s focused on doing her best in Oregon and hopes she’s an example of why young athletes should be open minded about trying more than one sport.
“I would definitely be a proponent of keeping your options open and try as many sports as possible,” Wise said. “A lot of studies of being a dual sport athlete show it makes you a healthier individual. Working hard is still important but I also think it makes it more fun if you do not take any one thing too seriously.”
