The 5-foot-11, 170-pound senior won the national championship in the triple jump at the New Balance Nationals Outdoor this past season. His personal-best leap of 50 feet, 6 inches ranked No. 4 in the nation among prep competitors in 2017 at the time of his selection. Ledell won both the triple jump (49-1) and the long jump (23-10) at the Class AAAAA state meet, leading the Gators to a 10th-place finish as a team. It was his fourth straight state title in the triple jump across three different classifications.
Ledell has maintained a 3.36 GPA in the classroom. He has signed a national letter of intent to compete on an athletic scholarship at Clemson University beginning this fall.
Ledell has volunteered locally at a home for domestic abuse victims and has donated his time to flood relief clean-up in Lexington County. "Coaching DJ Ledell for four years has been such an honor and pleasure," said Racheed Gause, head coach of River Bluff High. "This young man is special and I've said that since day one of his high school career."