Synergy | noun | syn·er·gy
The interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate parts.
Together, Tamar Greene and Jah Strange have climbed the ranks to become one of the most dynamic jumping teams in Purdue history. Joining the likes of 1999’s Michael Turner and Ike Olekaibe, the duo went from underdog status to forging Purdue as one of just two programs in the nation with at least two jumpers currently ranked in the top 20 nationally.
Strange knew exactly how he would describe their relationship. “We’re like fire and ice. Personality and jumping style-wise, we are very different: I bring a lot of aggression and speed to my jumps whereas Tamar is more of a ‘go with the flow’ kind of guy and has a little more bounce.
“I can be a little intense at times, get in my head, but he is always even-keeled. Sometimes, he doesn’t even have to say anything – I’ll just look at him and know that I may be doing a little bit too much. It’s just that calming force he brings naturally.”
Despite what their success would suggest, both student-athletes haven’t been at Purdue for very long. Greene is in his sophomore year, while Strange is a junior transfer in his first season with the program. In fact, when Strange was looking to transfer, Greene’s presence gave Purdue the extra boost. It may have not been the only factor, but it certainly helped.
And it’s worked out well.
“We both feed off each other. He has a calming presence,” said Strange before offering a small smile. “I could use a little bit of that at times and he could use a little bit of aggression and speed sometimes. In practice, we’ll look at each other and take things from each other’s jumps. So in that way, we are opposite, but we complement each other very well.”
The two also came from humble beginnings. Greene, who is a native of Nassau, Bahamas, began jumping in seventh grade after seeing his neighbor leaping in odd spurts one day after school, and there was no looking back. Yes, it may have taken a few days to convince his friend to show him how to triple jump, but that didn’t matter.
It also didn’t faze Greene to finish dead last the first time he competed in the long and triple jump. Instead, he jumped throughout his house and hallways all day. He continued practicing with his friends along the side of the road and on the basketball court, and then into a sand pit they made by piling sand at the edge of the court. “It was hard, but I never gave up.”
And now, after representing The Bahamas six times on the national stage, Greene continues to raise the bar. “I have someone to push me in practice, even though I can be quiet, he knows we both have the fire. Even at meets we always push each other. We don’t want anyone to beat us, we always want to be 1-2.”
They’re not above sharing the fire either. “If he jumps big, then I’ll jump big. If I jump big, the fire will go in him, and he’ll have the big jump,” Greene says. “And that’s how we do it.”
Although Greene began jumping in seventh grade, Strange had an even later start to his career.
“I can be happy with a jump, but not satisfied.”
It wasn’t until high school that Strange picked up the sport and at 5-foot-2 and 95 pounds, he wasn’t an ideal candidate for it either. “I’ve always seen myself as an underdog,” he says. “Somebody who is trying to catch up, who has been behind the curve a little bit.”
Then a growth spurt kicked in and the Indio, California, native grew a foot and added muscle. He worked hard, always with the mindset instilled by his father, “I can be happy with a jump, but not satisfied.”
Just the other day, Strange talked on the phone with his old man about his national ranking status. “Oh, No. 12? Ok, that’s pretty good’ we said, but we just always want more.” That mindset led to two fruitful years at Sacramento State and an explosive beginning to his career at Purdue.
But the road to West Lafayette wasn’t obvious. In fact, when Strange was looking to transfer, his sights were on schools along the West Coast – Pac-12 territory. “They didn’t want me,” he said.
The Pac-12’s loss was Purdue’s gain.
Despite his No. 12 national ranking status, checking in at T-No. 3 in the Purdue record books, being named an All-American as a freshman at Sacramento State and winning the Big Sky indoor triple jump title a year ago, Strange still sees himself as behind the curve with one year less of eligibility than Greene. “It just breeds more hunger,” he says.
Together, Greene and Strange refuse to become complacent. Always striving for the next level. Already, they sit one after another in the record book, having improved their personal records by a combined one meter.
“They both have their strengths — Jah being a seasoned collegiate athlete and Tamar being a somewhat seasoned international competitor,” says head coach Norbert Elliott. “Where other athletes may be nervous in competition, they are not nervous at all. They are fierce competitors, they push each other in practice and support each other at meets. They are really good friends, so it is fun to see the dynamic between those two.”
On their own, Fire and Ice were well on their way to successful collegiate careers, yes, but what they have accomplished since joining forces? That’s something else entirely.
“That’s why I believe people succeed – they have someone to train with,” says Greene. “When you have a teammate to push you, it makes you go get it.”
Credits:
Purdue Athletics | Photography by Charles Jischke