WHILE ALL OF the top-8 jumpers from the T&FN formchart made it to the final, only 6-0 (1.83) was required. Just 10 jumpers cleared, with a following 5 who had clean records through 5-10 (1.78) taking a fourth jump at 6-0 (1.83). Loretta Blaut and Cierra Tidwell cleared with the extra jump to cement their places in the final.
Nine of the finalists cleared 6-0, with Sanaa Barnes, Vashti Cunningham, Jamari Drake, Rachel Glenn and Charity Hufnagel the only jumpers with no failures. At 6-2 (1.88), Jenna Rogers cleared first time, and was followed by Barnes and Hufnagel. High schooler JaiCieonna Gero-Holt, Cunningham and Glenn were successful with their second jumps, and these 6 proceeded to the next height. For Barnes the 6-2 was an improvement of her ’21 PR of 6-1½ (1.87). Rogers again went over the bar, this time at a PR 6-3¼ (1.91), and her first-time clearance was matched by Cunningham and Hufnagel. Glenn joined them with a second-time clearance, and the bar moved up to 6-4¼ (1.94).
Hufnagel had won the ’23 NCAA, but had focused more on the heptathlon this year, jumping only 6-1½ during the current season. However, she was the only jumper over 6-4¼ (1.94), an outdoor PR, at the first time of asking. She was joined by Glenn, who went clear with her third jump, leaving Cunningham and Rogers tied for 3rd at 6-3¼.
Both missed their first attempts at 6-4 in an administrative jumpoff to select the Paris squad’s third member. But when the bar was lowered to 6-3½ (1.92) Cunningham then went over to seal her third Olympic selection. Remarkably it was the first time Cunningham had been defeated in a U.S. championship, indoors or outdoors, since Chaunté Lowe beat her at the ’16 Trials.
Hufnagel had three tries at the Olympic standard of 6-5½ (1.97), but, unlike Cunningham and Glenn, will have to wait until early next month to see if she is among the top-32 when World Athletics releases its final pre-Olympic rankings. Hufnagel noted that the competition was “pretty amazing,” adding, “It was so amazing that I could come out here today, have fun with it, and do what I know I can do.”
WOMEN’S HIGH JUMP RESULTS
FINAL (June 24)
1. Charity Hufnagel (Ky) 6-4¼ (1.94) PR; 2. Rachel Glenn (Ar) 6-4¼ (1.94); 3t. Jenna Rogers (Nb) PR & Vashti Cunningham (NikeRB) 6-3¼ (1.91) (Cunningham won administrative jumpoff for 3rd); 5. Sanaa Barnes (unat) 6-2 (1.88); 6. JaiCieonna Gero-Holt (WaTF) 6-2 (1.88) out PR; 7. Jamari Drake (Miz) 6-0 (1.83); 8. Loretta Blaut (unat) 6-0 (1.83); 9. Cierra Tidwell Allphin (BYU) 6-0 (1.83); 10. Emma Gates (Az) 5-10 (1.78); 11. Arika Harbo (ConcSP) 5-10 (1.78); 12. Zarriea Willis (NvGaz) 5-10 (1.78).
QUALIFYING (June 22)
Qualifiers:Tidwell Allphin & Blaut clearred 5-10/1.78; all other finalists cleared 6-0/1.83;
Non-qualifiers: [5-10]—Evelyn Lavielle (JumpL), Destiny Masters (Wich), Liz Evans (unat), Paris Mikinski (Az);
[5-8/1.73]—Amaya Ugarte (OhSt), Katie Isenbarger (WnKy) , Cheyla Scott (Or), Mercedeez Francis (NvGaz), Soledad Jean (Louis).
| 5-8 | 5-10 | 6-0 | 6-2 | 6-3¼ | 6-4¼ | 6-5½ | |
| Rogers | p | xo | o | o | o | xxx | — |
| Gates | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Harbo | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Drake | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Willis | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Barnes | p | o | o | o | xxx | — | — |
| Hufnagel | p | o | o | o | o | o | xxx |
| Allphin | p | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Gero-Holt | p | o | xo | xo | xxx | — | — |
| Cunningham | p | p | o | xo | o | xxx | — |
| Glenn | p | o | o | xxo | xo | xxo | xxx |
| Blaut | o | xxo | xo | xxx | — | — | — |
| 1.73 | 1.78 | 1.83 | 1.88 | 1.91 | 1.94 | 1.97 |