As a member of an athletic family, Crew Flood is looking to leave his own legacy on Leopard sports. On April 9, he lept towards that goal by breaking the school long jump record he set in the 2025 season.
The Lindsay High School sophomore jumped 23 feet, 11.75 inches at the Alex Invitational Meet. The record Flood set as a freshman was 21 feet, 10 inches.
However, setting school records is not the final goal for Flood, who wants to be a dual-sport collegiate athlete in long jump and football.
“I want to leave a legacy at our school and do what no one else has done,” Flood said. “I want to be remembered.”
His athletic family includes his father, who played football at Southern Nazerene University, and his mom, who was a high school softball state champion. His older sister will soon be heading to Arizona on a softball scholarship. His younger sisters have been trying different sports, including long jump.
“He has worked very hard in all his athletics,” said his mom, Erin Flood. “We are super proud of him.”
Flood began participating in the long jump in fifth grade. In eighth grade, he began to take the event more seriously as he realized he was already nearing the school record.
“It just came naturally to me,” he said.
He has also worked with coaches who specialize in the long jump to improve his technique, which he says helped him gain an extra 5 or 6 inches on his jumps.
The challenge in long jump is how quickly he might go from a great jump to a scratch in a single meet.
“Through the years, I’ve learned to like it,” Flood said. “I can be better, but then I scratch three times in a row. It helps to have my community and coaches.” When he has those tough moments at the long jump pit, Flood likes to move away from the crowds, whether they are being positive or negative.
“Getting away is a big thing. It helps me focus on what I’m there for,” he said. “I have to be mentally strong enough to block it all out.”
Unfortunately, Flood pulled his hamstring during his record-setting jump, so he will not be competing this week as he heals.
“I’ve been told all good things come with a cost,” he said.
Flood would like to be a dual-sport collegiate athlete, participating in both football and long jump. He currently starts for the Leopard football team, where he mostly plays outside linebacker and safety.
“I like running out of the tunnel,” Flood said. “I see the little kids staring and the fans, alumni who haven’t played in years, cheering. The community has been a big help to me. The confidence from the community helps me to be better.”
In addition to his athletic pursuits, Flood attends First Baptist Church in Lindsay and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
“There’s no point in being remembered if I didn’t have those,” he said.
He also enjoys fishing, camping and watching his sisters compete in their sports.
