Inika McPherson

Inika McPherson (born September 29, 1986 in Port Arthur, Texas) is an American track and field athlete specializing in the high jump. She was the 2013 and 2014 US Indoor champion.[1] She also won the women's high jump at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships by clearing 2.00 m for the first time. McPherson has many tattoos and a variety of hairstyles, including mohawks.[2]

Inika McPherson
Personal information
NationalityUnited States
Born (1986-09-29) September 29, 1986
Port Arthur, Texas, U.S.
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Sport
SportTrack and field
Event(s)High jump
College teamCal Bears
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • High jump: 1.96 m (2014)
Updated on August 2016.

Early career

She was a 2005 graduate of Memorial High School, of Port Arthur, Texas[3] where she was freshman state champion and a six foot high jumper as a freshman in high school. McPherson shares the freshman high school record with Amy Acuff 6 ft. Was also named ESPN female high jumper of the decade.[4][5] Her high school best was 6'2" (1.87 m).[6] She also excelled in the triple jump and lettered in four sports, was Texas University Interscholastic League All-State and carried a 5.0 GPA.[7]

College

Her next stop was the University of California, Berkeley where she set the school indoor record and was a three time NCAA All American, though she didn't get back to the range of her 6'2" from high school. Due to an injury she battled with during her years at Cal which caused her to have ankle surgery on her take off foot in 2008. In 2009 McPherson came off ankle surgery and captured the Pac 10 Championship title and named female Athlete of the year at the University of California.[8]

Professional

She has represented the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics, 2007 Pan American Games, the 2011 and 2013 World Championships and the 2012 and 2014 World Indoor Championships. Her improvements have been in bursts. She moved into the rarefied air of elite competition by going 1.95 at the 2012 Mt. SAC Relays, still finishing second to the eventual Olympic silver medalist Brigetta Barrett.[9]

Doping sanction

McPherson tested positive for benzoylecgonine, the main metabolite of cocaine, at the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and subsequently accepted a 21-month doping ban through March 2016.[10]

International competitions
Year Competition Venue Position Notes
Representing the  United States
2004 World Junior Championships Grosseto, Italy 11th 1.75 m
2007 Pan American Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 11th 1.78 m
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 27th (q) 1.80 m
2012 World Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey – NM
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 18th (q) 1.88 m
2014 World Indoor Championships Sopot, Poland 12th (q) 1.92 m
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 10th 1.93 m
2017 World Championships London, United Kingdom 9th 1.92 m
2018 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 7th 1.84 m
2019 World Championships Doha, Qatar 18th (q) 1.85 m

Personal life

In 2014, she and Regina George announced on social media that they are in a relationship.[11]

References
  1. usatf.org retrieved 2nd July 2014
  2. @stylehatch, Style Hatch - http://stylehatch.co |. "The hair, style and ink of Inika McPherson". SPIKESMAG.COM. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
  3. "Two Port Arthur natives to compete in women's high jump at U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Thursday". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved=August 5, 2016
  4. ESPN female high jumper of the decade ESPN.go.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  5. AOC Raleigh adidas Outdoor Championships June 18-19, 2004 at NC State U., Raleigh NC presented by the National Scholastic Sports Foundation a DyeStat featured meet Dyestat.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  6. Inika Mcpherson University of California Port Arthur Memorial Berkeley, CA, USA Milesplit.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  7. Inika McPherson Bio - The University of California Official Athletic Site calbears.com. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  8. University of California, Berkeley record book
  9. http://flashwest.com/12Meets/12MtSacRelays/120419F245.htm
  10. USADA: US Track & Field Athlete, McPherson, Accepts Sanction For Rule Violation, usada.org, 19 December 2014
  11. www.bellanaija.com/, "Meet 23-Year-Old Nigerian-Venezuelan Commonwealth Games Sprinter Regina George & Her Partner", 07/2014
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