Audu makes triple nation jump with ease

George Audu didn't think it could get any better.

First, he was training in the same club as Linford Christie, world champion in the 100-meters. Then, he was working with a coach who coaches two jumpers from the Great Britain Olympic team. Next, he received a response to his portfolio from Penn State.

-- George Audu, men's track triple and long jumper

Groves is starting to get the results this season he was looking for out of Audu. He ended up with first-place finishes in both the long and triple jumps last weekend at the Black Knight Quadrangular meet in West Point, N.Y.

Audu has come a long way but seems to have found a home at Penn State. Born in Nigeria, Audu started running at an early age, but stopped at 14 to attend a tutorial school in London, where concentrating on education was more important than athletics.

At 18, Audu started the laborious task of taking up track again at Newlands High School in England and carried it over to the University of Surrey. The school didn't have a track team, so he got involved in a track club.

When he first arrived at Penn State, Audu was shocked by the number of people who attended the University. His old university only had 6,000 students compared to Penn State's 40,000.

"I didn't find it difficult adapting to the students," Audu said. "I think Americans are much friendlier than the English."

One aspect of change Audu admitted having problems with was balancing athletics and his studies, but Groves doesn't seem too worried.

"Foreign athletes don't seem to waste a lot of time," Groves said. "He has good time management oriented towards academics."

After getting used to all of the new changes, Audu is working on changing his technique with coach Andrew Hardyk, who successfully helped change John Gorham's style.

Audu came to Penn State with the same style Gorham did, the hang technique. Hardyk introduced Audu to the hitch-kick technique, which is the same technique Gorham has gained success with. The hang technique involves the jumper stretching his body vertically while the hitch-kick technique is when a jumper looks like he is running through the air. Hardyk said the world's best jumpers use the hitch-kick technique.

He added Audu seems to be picking up the concepts faster then Gorham did during his early stages.

"He is confident," Gorham said. "I just tell him that its going to pay off in the long run."

Coach Hardyk said Audu is an intelligent athlete with a good work ethic, but added it will take a little bit of time before the team sees strong finishes from him.

"He's still getting used to the technique," Hardyk said. "When he gets more comfortable, he'll be up there with the best."

Audu said he likes training with Gorham because of the motivation and seriousness he has about track. Gorham said he feels the same way because last year he really didn't have anyone to train with.

Hardyk said he has two good jumpers who push each other, and that will help the team in the long run.

"Because we have two good jumpers," Hardyk said, "we don't have to have them jump every week in both (long and triple) jumps."

The team plans to alternate the two between events so they can jump against competition and not between themselves.

Audu said he is looking forward to competing in the Big Ten and added it would be nice to make it to nationals.

For his future, Audu plans to graduate with a degree in chemical engineering and would like to compete in the next summer Olympics for either Nigeria or Great Britain.

With the portfolio he is starting to build at Penn State, there's no telling where Audu could end up.