Jah-Nhai Perinchief, the Bermuda high jumper, was at his best at the KT Woodman Classic at the Wichita State University at the weekend.

The Iowa Community College freshman won the men’s high jump with an outstanding leap of 2.26 metres, which is a new Bermuda junior record and personal best.

The previous junior national high jump record was achieved 35 years ago by Clarence “Nicky” Saunders, a Commonwealth Games gold medal-winner.

Perinchief, who is a CAC Junior Championships and Carifta Games medal-winner, was in a class of his own at the Cessna Stadium. His best leap was 15 centimetres higher than second place finisher Landon Cuskelly, of Butler Community College, who peaked out at 2.11, and just three centimetres shy of the Olympic qualifying standard of 2.29m.

Commenting on the athlete’s record breaking exploits, Donna Raynor, the Bermuda National Athletics Association president, said: “We the BNAA are so excited for Jah-Nhai. Not only has Jah-Nhai jumped a personal best with 2.26 metres, but he has broken the Bermuda Junior National Record which was held by Clarence “Nicky” Saunders height of 2.22 since July 1981.”

Perinchief, who represented Bermuda at the 2014 Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China, had three failed attempts at reaching the Olympic qualifying mark.

The athlete’s performance in Wichita has not surprised Raynor in the least.

“We knew [of his potential] from last year taking him with us to the NACAC senior event and he jumped well and wasn’t afraid of the competition,” Raynor said. “Several coaches watched him and knew he was something special.

“He is a wonderful individual and this is only the beginning as he is just in junior college. He has already qualified for the World Junior Championships which will be held this summer.”

The championships will be held in Bydgoszcz, Poland, from July 19 to 24.

n Roy-Allan Burch, the Bermuda swimmer, continued his comeback from a serious injury by competing at the Arena Pro Swim Series at Mesa in Arizona at the weekend.

Burch finished fifth in the 50 metres freestyle heats in a time of 23.66sec.

The 30-year-old swam competitively for the first time since his injury at this month’s Canadian Olympic Trials in Toronto, finishing 38th overall in the 50 preliminary heats in 23.78.