NCAA Track and Field Preview: High Jump

The absence of defending champion, Destinee Hooker of Texas, from the women’s field opens up the opportunity for a new champion in 2010.  On the men’s side, a Hoosier hopes to finish what he started in the indoor season.

Schedule

Wednesday, June 9

4:45-Women’s Final

Friday, June 11

3:30-Men’s Final

Women’s Preview

The women’s high jump is another event where a defending champion has decided not to defend her title.  Destinee Hooker of Texas decided to forgo her senior track season and sign a professional volleball contract with a club in South Korea.  In Hooker’s absence, there are plenty of 2009 All-Americans and NCAA newcomers ready to compete for the top spot.

Those competitors include: 2009 runner-up, Elizabeth Paterson of Arizona; current NCAA leader, Amber Kaufman of Hawaii-Manoa; Texas Big 12 champ Victoria Lucas; and Jane Doolittle of UC-Santa Barbara.

Women High Jump
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     Name                        Year School            Seed Mark
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  1  Chealsea Taylor               SR Alabama               1.81m
  2  Megan Seidl                   SR Wisconsin             1.81m
  3  Tynita Butts                  FR E. Carolina           1.81m
  4  Victoria Lucas                SO Texas                 1.81m
  5  Holly Parent                  FR WSU                   1.81m
  6  Emily Breslin                 JR Purdue                1.81m
  7  Kayla Lawson                  SR NC State              1.81m
  8  Priscilla Frederick           JR St. John's            1.81m
  9  Brittani Carter               JR LSU                   1.81m
 10  Rebecca Buchholtz             SO Michigan St.          1.81m
 11  Amber Kaufman                 JR Hawaii-Manoa          1.81m
 12  Whitney Sisler                SO Cal Poly-SLO          1.81m
 13  Brigetta Barrett              FR Arizona               1.81m
 14  Elizabeth Patterson           SR Arizona               1.81m
 15  Jasmin Day                    SR Arizona               1.81m
 16  Jane Doolittle                SR Santa Barbara         1.81m
 17  Toni Tollefson                FR N. Dakota St.         1.81m
 18  Epley Bullock                 SR Nebraska              1.81m
 19  Ke'Airra Jones                SO S. Mississippi        1.78m
 20  Katelyn Williams              JR West Virginia         1.78m
 21  Maya Pressley                 FR Auburn                1.78m
 22  Krystle Schade                SO Alabama               1.78m
 23  Ada Robinson                  SO BYU                   1.78m
 24  Bianca Stewart                SO Ga Tech               1.78m

Men’s Preview

As an Illinois native, I can’t help but be a bit biased and root against anyone wearing an Indiana Hoosier jersey.  But what’s not to like about Derek Drouin?  Not only is he the current indoor NCAA champ, but he jumped into a decathlon at the Alabama Relays (where he finished second with a tally of 6592) and ran the 110 hurdles this past spring.  He’s the TrackFocus pick to take outdoor high jump crown.  That being said, he’s got to better some quality competition if he hopes to add the outdoor title to his resume.

Freshman Ricky Robertson of Ole Miss holds the current NCAA best of 7 feet, 5 3/4 inches and will look to improve on his impressive, indoor NCAA runner-up finish.  Robertson’s Ole Miss teammate, Brian Knight, has also jumped well this spring.  Though they lost 2009 NCAA champ Scott Sellars graduation, Kansas State hopes they can defend their school’s high jump title with talented freshman Erik Kynard.  Also, keep a eye out for Utah State’s Clint Silcock, who has cleared 7-5 this spring.

Men High Jump
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     Name                        Year School            Seed Mark
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  1  Major Clay                    SO Indiana St.           2.16m
  2  Derek Drouin                  SO Indiana               2.16m
  3  Brian Knight                  SO Ole Miss              2.16m
  4  Clint Silcock                 JR Utah State            2.16m
  5  Trent Arrivey                 SR WSU                   2.16m
  6  Justin Frick                  SR Princeton             2.16m
  7  Geoffery Davis                FR Purdue                2.16m
  8  Ricky Robertson               FR Ole Miss              2.16m
  9  Ryan Fritz                    SR Penn St.              2.16m
 10  Matt Fisher                   SR Minnesota             2.16m
 11  Erik Kynard                   FR Kansas St.            2.16m
 12  Manjula Kumara Wijesekara     SR USC                   2.16m
 13  Edgar Rivera-Morales          FR Arizona               2.16m
 14  Paul Hamilton                 JR Nebraska              2.16m
 15  Raphael Hall                  SR Norfolk St.           2.11m
 16  Nick Ross                     FR Arizona               2.11m
 17  Donte Nall                    JR North Carolina        2.11m
 18  Jamal Wilson                  JR Texas                 2.11m
 19  Andrew Bachelor               JR Fla State             2.11m
 20  Keith Benford                 FR Texas-San Anton       2.11m
 21  Darrell Roddick               SR Texas Tech            2.11m
 22  Jerome McKinzie               SR Kennesaw Sta          2.11m
 23  Kenneth Agee                  FR Kent State            2.11m
 24  Jordan Bishop                 FR Oregon St.            2.11m