OXFORD – What started off as something to do after basketball season has blossomed into a unique national championship story for Ole Miss junior high jumper Arvesta Troupe. The Fulton, Mississippi native has come a long way in a short period of time.
Troupe jumped 7 feet, 3 ¾ inches at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships last Friday in Eugene, Oregon to win the national championship in the high jump and, after already having won the crown, jumped a career-best 7 feet, 5 ¼ inches to take the event by nearly three inches. The junior is the first national champion high-jumper in school history and first men’s champion in jumps since 2001. Ole Miss’ men’s track and field team finished tied for eighth overall, which tied for the best finish in program history.
It’s still all a bit surreal for Troupe, who didn’t begin jumping until the back end of his junior year of high school.
“At first it didn’t feel real at all,” Troupe told the Daily Journal. “The realization clicked kind of when we got back from Eugene. It’s like, ‘I’m a national champ.’ It just hits.”
A high school basketball star at Itawamba Agricultural, Troupe and his family believed his future was on the hardwood. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 19.6 points per game as a senior for the Indians, according to MaxPreps. His high school basketball coach was also the track and field coach, Troupe said, and he had a few of his players try jumps. He had no idea what he was doing at first – he still remembers not wearing the correct shoes and being told to simply “run fast, jump high” – but quickly learned he had a knack for it. He finished second in the 4A high jump in 2021 just months after having picked up the sport and won the event in 2022. Ole Miss and other major programs were at that last meet, and Troupe caught their eyes with his 6 feet, 10 inch jump — six inches higher than he had jumped his junior year. Troupe won the 2022 4A title by a whopping eight inches.
While basketball had been the plan – Troupe said he had interest from Southern Miss, Western Kentucky and other schools, but crowded rosters due to players returning because of COVID-19 made it hard to find a spot. After some soul searching, Troupe opted to follow his new passion and give up basketball, knowing it held more opportunities for him educationally and athletically.
“Basketball was a long dream of mine, trying to make the NBA. But sometimes realism kicks in,” Troupe said. “And like I said, I was falling in love with track and I feel like I had a higher ceiling in that.”
Having only been jumping for a couple of years, Troupe admits he felt out of place at first when he got to Ole Miss. But as he kept working at it, he found himself getting better and better, finishing third at the SEC Championships as a sophomore in 2024 with a jump of 7 feet, 1/4 inches. He did not, however, qualify for the national championships that season, finishing 13th at regionals with 12 spots available. Troupe let that disappointment motivate him through the offseason. His family, friends and coaches reminded him there was no limit to his ceiling.
As his third year progressed, Troupe found himself frequently setting new personal bests, including one in the second meet of the season. One of the keys to improving, Troupe said, is mental toughness.
“I just kept going up, progressing, progressing . Even if it’s by three centimeters or one centimeter, I’ve just kept going up and climbing,” Troupe said. “ … After the first two PRs, it’s like ‘Alright, I’m doing something. This is consistent. I’m able to keep going and further myself.”
Troupe finished second at the SEC Championships this year with a jump of 7 feet, 5 inches, an inch behind Georgia’s Riyon Rankin. But as he went to Oregon for the national championships, Troupe genuinely believed he had a chance to win the whole the thing. He had come in second so many times during the season, he explained, that things had to break for him eventually. Why not on the biggest stage of all?
Troupe cleared 7 feet, 3 ¾ inches on his second attempt and 7 feet, 5 ¼ inches on his first try. Texas State’s Kason O’Riley and Aiden Hayes finished tied for second behind Troupe at 7 feet, 2 1/2 inches. Troupe attempted 7-feet, 6 ½ inches with his crown already in tow but came up just short.
“Just me as a person, I’m always calm and collected. But (being) able to do that in front of Hayward (Field), it was like, ‘There’s no bigger moment than this. … Why not? Why not here? Why not here at Oregon, at the biggest meet, the biggest stage?’”
There is still more for Troupe to accomplish, however, and he admits he hasn’t given himself much time to bask in his championship. He’s headed to the U.S. Outdoor Championships soon and has his eyes on a potential NCAA title repeat in 2026. He also wouldn’t mind the school record in the high jump, which is currently held by Ricky Robertson’s at 7-feet-7 ¼ inches (2012).
“Anything past the school record,” Troupe said with a smile. “That’s definitely a goal.”
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