Kevin Staniszewski Opens 2026 With a Shocking Jump

Santa Monica, CA - Dec. 6

Some season openers quietly set the tone, and others walk straight in and announce themselves. This weekend at the Santa Monica All-Comers Meet, Leap Squad Virtual Team athlete Kevin Staniszewski did exactly that. He stepped onto the runway, took only six steps, and opened his year with a 19 feet 6 inch long jump that made everyone re-check the tape. It was not a full approach or a half approach. It was six steps. And the jump looked clean, calm, and confident, the kind of controlled power that tells you something bigger is coming.

Kevin’s backstory makes this moment even more impressive. In 2022 he hit his personal best of 22 feet 9 inches. The following two seasons were quieter, stuck in the 21 foot range, which athletes know can feel like a frustrating plateau. Last year he joined the Leap Squad Virtual Team and immediately worked his way back to 22 feet. That alone was a solid comeback. But what he did today carried a different kind of energy. It felt like the start of a new chapter.

A six step jump is normally just a rhythm check. It is a warm-up, a way to feel the ground, a chance to get the timing right. No one expects a mark worth talking about from such a short approach. But 19 feet 6 inches from six steps is not something you ignore. It is a sign. And yes, it absolutely projects out. A jump like that places Kevin on track for a 23 foot season when he opens up his full runway and adds the speed that is normally required for big marks.

Kevin’s reaction said everything. After the jump he simply said, “I feel amazing and I’m ready for this season.” No dramatics, no hype, just a clear sense of confidence and readiness. It is the tone of an athlete who knows where he is heading and understands that this jump is only the beginning.

This performance gives Kevin real momentum. It is a confidence booster, a technical confirmation, and a message to the field that he is coming into 2026 in a very different way. If this is what he produces off six steps, the long jump runway is about to get very interesting when he stretches out to his full approach.

Stay tuned. Kevin is not easing into this season. He has arrived.