NCAA Recruiting

USC's No. 1 Class Just Got Better: Nation's Top Jumper Avery Lewis Signs

USC's No. 1 Class Just Got Better: Nation's Top Jumper Avery Lewis Signs

The top female jumper in the Class of 2024 just joined an illustrious crop of young sprint standouts from across the U.S.

Dec 9, 2023 by John Davern
USC's No. 1 Class Just Got Better: Nation's Top Jumper Avery Lewis Signs

One of the recruiting season's most-curious mysteries is now official.

On Friday, Philadelphia Friends' Central star Avery Lewis signed her National Letter of Intent to compete at the University of Southern California.

Lewis made her announcement official on her Instagram page.

With her signing now complete, Lewis joins a a slew of talented of recruits headed to Southern California, including MileSplit's top-ranked recruit Mia Brahe-Pedersen, Virginia's top sprinter Brianna Selby and Ohio standouts Maira Scott, Olivia Pace and Grace Smith. This week, Falyn Lott also signed with the Trojans.

Lewis has already cemented her legacy as one of the best athletes in Pennsylvania high school history, but she still has another six months and two seasons to go. 

This past summer, Lewis won the Pan-American U20 Championship in the long jump, securing the victory with a leap of 20 feet, 5 inches. That title capped off yet another prolific outdoor season for the young star.


Leading up to the Pan-American U20 Championships, Lewis was undefeated in the long jump at U.S. juniors. She won a Penn Relays title, a PA Independent School State Championship and a New Balance Nationals Outdoor championship in her premiere event.

At New Balance Nationals Outdoor, her 20-9.5 propelled her to a new state record in the event, breaking one of Pennsylvania's longest-standing records as Angie Brown's previous mark of 20-9 had stood since 1994.

That was Lewis' second state record of the school year having set a Pennsylvania all-time best on the indoor circuit in the 60m with a sterling time of 7.22.

But Lewis doesn't just excel in the long jump pit.

She also holds stellar efforts in both the 100m and 200m -- and only adds to USC's incredible haul in the sprints.

She competed in the short sprints at some of the most prestigious meets in the country as a junior and placed well at the USATF U20 Championships.

Lewis posted new lifetime bests of 11.41 (100m) and 23.32 (200m) in the spring.

After the season, Lewis earned Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year Honors and PA MileSplit Athlete of the Year Honors

With her collegiate plans now solidified, Lewis enters her final indoor season as the top returner nationally in the 60m and second-best in the long jump.

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