With the 2019 indoor track and field season underway, I sat down with senior Treyshon Malone to talk about his love for jumping, what brought him to Idaho State, and what his goals are for this season.
Pocatello, Idaho - Growing up in Yuma, Ariz., Treyshon Malone was a multi-sport athlete playing football and basketball. He credits his mother for getting him to go out for track at Yuma Catholic High School. During high school Malone was invested in hurdling and long jumped as an extra way to score more points for the team.
Jumping 23.5 feet in the long jump attracted the attention of Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. During his freshman year he continued to improve his long jump until the season was derailed by a knee surgery.
Coming back from injury, Malone was able to improve his technique by using both legs to jump off of. In his first meet he jumped 23 feet.
"I actually started to like long jump again," Malone said.
Progressing towards indoor nationals, Malone had jumped 24 feet and started to attract the attention of NCAA Division I schools. The attention grew as he jumped a personal best 25.5 feet.
"It became my passion," he said. "This is my thing and I'm going to go as far as I can with it."
Malone had several large Division I schools bidding for the now-Bengal jumper.
"When I came on my visit, the coach that recruited me I could tell he wanted me bad," Malone said with a smile on his face as he reflected on his recruiting visit. "Deante Gaines was also one of my bigger influences because I pretty much followed him if you think about it. He went to the same community college as me. We jumped similar marks. He came here and got better. When I came on my visit he was my host and helped cement the decision to become a Bengal. While here and meeting most of the guys they were heartwarming, really cool and down to earth with me. I felt like I was a part of the team already."
Malone has set high expectations for himself as he eyes a conference championship in the long jump.
Each day Malone is pushed in practice by Seth Jarus. The two Pima transfers have their eyes on sharing the podium together at the Big Sky Conference Championships.
Malone is currently ranked second in the Big Sky Conference after jumping 23.4 feet at the Stacy Dragila Open.
The next track meet for the Bengals is Friday, January 18, in Bozeman, Montana where they will be competing at the Montana State Duels which will feature Utah State, and conference foes Montana State and the University of Montana.
