EUGENE, Ore. -- July 3, 2016 -- Chadron State College's Damarcus Simpson finished eighth in the long jump during the finals of the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on Sunday.

Simpson went 8.12 meters, or 26 feet, 7 ¾ inches, on his first jump Sunday, putting himself in third place following one round, and allowing him to be one of the eight finalists. However, he fouled on his five ensuing jumps, ending his bid to make the U.S. Olympic team.

His jump Sunday was a career-best, exceeding his mark of 26-6 ½ on Saturday, when he placed fourth during the long jump preliminaries. That competition included the top 24 Americans in the event, from both the collegiate and the professional ranks.

Simpson went to the trials with a career-best of 26-4 ½.  That was winning leap at this year's NCAA Division II National Outdoor Championships in May.  He also was the DII national champion as a freshman in 2015 with a mark of 26-3 ¾.

The latter mark allowed Simpson to compete at the USA National Championships in Eugene a year ago.  He finished seventh in that competition by going 26-4 ¼.

A native of Lafayette, Georgia, Simpson also was the silver medalist each of the last two years at the DII National Indoor Championships with marks of 25-4 ½ in 2015 and 25-11 this year. 

Jeff Henderson won the Olympic Trials' long jump by going 28-2 ¼. The other U.S. representatives on the Olympic team will be Jarrion Lawson, who jumped 28-1 ¾, and Marquis Dendy, who went 27-7 ½. Will Claye matched Dendy's mark, but failed to meet a wind-legal Olympic Standard and finished in fourth.

Marquise Goodwin, who finished seventh, is a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Adoree Jackson, who finished in 10th place, attends the University of Southern California and is projected as a first round NFL Draft pick at wide receiver in 2017.