USATF Women’s High Jump — No. 6 In A Row

Vashti Cunningham easily topped the field to further extend her string of national titles. (KEVIN MORRIS)

WHILE SHE IS never one to think a competition will be a shoo-in, Vashti Cunningham must have thought this could be one of the least-pressured nationals she has ever competed in. Being the defending champion and winner of the last 11 U.S. titles (in and out), a victory here would give Cunningham her 13th overall title. And she’s still only 25.

While no other U.S. performer has hit the qualifying standard of 6-5½ (1.97), Cunningham reached that height in her first 5 meets of the year, topped by a 6-6¾ (2.00) clearance at the USATF Indoor.

Taking the conservative route here, she decided not to pass and started her day with all the jumpers at the opening height of 5-11¼ (1.81). Still, that modest setting was too much for 7 of the 15-woman field.

At 6-1¼ (1.86), Cunningham, Nebraska soph Jenna Rogers and Rylee Anderson of Kansas were safely over on their first attempts each equaling her outdoor PR, as Ball State’s NCAA champion Charity Griffith (who has now moved on to Kentucky) needed a pair and Olympian Rachel McCoy all three.

With the bar raised to 6-3¼ (1.91), all 5 missed on first attempt, but Cunningham responded with a second-try clearance as the others struggled.

The placings at this point saw Cunningham in 1st, Anderson and Rogers knotted in 2nd and Griffith and McCoy in 4th and 5th. None of the remaining jumpers cleared their second attempt, so the podium would be decided by their third attempts. Rogers came the closest, but the placings remained the same as no one else could clear.

After giving 6-4¾ (1.95) three good tries, Cunningham settled for her sixth straight outdoor title. However, she still has a few years to go if she is to match Alice Coachman’s record 10 consecutive outdoor wins, 1939–48.

The winning height, 6-3¼, was the lowest since ’15, and you’d have to look back to ’01 for a year in which 6-1¼ would have been sufficient to claim 2nd or a share of it.


WOMEN’S HIGH JUMP RESULTS

(July 07)

1. Vashti Cunningham (NikeRB) 6-3¼ (1.91);

=2. Rylee Anderson (Ks) 6-1¼ (1.86) =out PR;

=2. Jenna Rogers (Nb) 6-1¼ (1.86) =out PR;

4. Charity Griffith (Ky) 6-1¼ (1.86);

5. Rachel McCoy (unat) 6-1¼ (1.86);

=6. Liz Evans (unat) 5-11¼ (1.81);

=6. Nissi Kabongo (unat) 5-11¼ (1.81);

8. Mercedeez Francis (unat) 5-11¼ (1.81);

… nh—Sanaa Barnes (Aub), Arika Harbo (ConcSP), Annika Kinley (Cinc), Destiny Masters (Wich), Jelena Rowe (AsicsNvG), Cierra Tidwell (BYU), Zarriea Willis (NvG).

5-11¼ 6-1¼ 6-3¼ 6-4¾
Willis xxx
McCoy o xxo xxx
Tidwell xxx
Rowe xxx
Kabongo xo xxx
Barnes xxx
Evans xo xxx
Anderson o o xxx
Rogers o o xxx
Cunningham o o xo xxx
Harbo xxx
Francis xxo xxx
Griffith o xo xxx
Masters xxx
Kinley xxx
1.81 1.86 1.91 1.95