FULL OF TWISTS and turns and lead changes, the women’s high jump was exciting. The 2-meter mark (6-6¾) was in jeopardy. After all, Arkansas’s Rachel Glenn had won the Indoor title at that height to equal the Collegiate Record of Lamara Distin of Texas A&M. But neither would ultimately figure into this championship. Glenn finished tied for 13th at 5-11½ (1.82).
Nine jumpers cleared 6-1½ (1.87). When the bar moved to 6-3¼ (1.91) six checked out of the competition: Roschell Clayton of Villanova, Jenna Rogers of Nebraska, Cierra Allphin of BYU, Cheyla Scott of Oregon, Bara Sajdoková of Illinois and Alice Taylor of Rice. Sajdoková and Taylor arrived in Eugene equal on the year list at 6-3¼.
Distin, who set a Collegiate Record at the SEC Indoor and placed 2nd at indoor nationals, never got back into that groove outdoors. She was 3rd at SEC’s and ultimately 4th here.
While Distin was missing three times, the jumping at 6-4¼ (1.94) for the other 3 women was getting crazy and the misses were mounting.
Jumping second in the order, Rose Yeboah of Illinois cleared nicely on her first while Yelena Kulichenko of Georgia and Texas Tech frosh Temitope Adeshina topped the bar on number 3. All three needed a trio of tries to clear 6-5½ (1.97). All three exceeded Acuff’s meet record of 6-5 (1.96) set in ’95. It would take a mathematician determine the final places.
So the bar was raised to equal-CR height, 6-6¾. Fatigue must have set in because all three missed three times. Yeboah had 14 attempts in the competition, Kulichenko 13 and Adeshina 15.
A 1st-place tie was awarded to Yeboah and Kulichenko after both declined a jumpoff — shades of similar agreements between vertical jumpers at recent World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics. Adeshina finished 3rd.
Yeboah recognized the fatigue. “I was tired,” she said, “but when I had the pressure on me at 1.97, I made it. The audience gave me lots of motivation.”
WOMEN’S HIGH JUMP RESULTS
(June 08)
=1. *Elena Kulichenko’ (Ga-Cyp) 6-5½ (1.97) NR (=8, =8 C);
=1. *Rose Yeboah’ (Il-Gha) 6-5½ (1.97) NR (=8, =8 C);
3. ***Temitope Adeshina’ (TxT-Ngr) 6-5½ (1.97) NR (=8, =8 C);
4. Lamara Distin’ (TxAM-Jam) 6-3¼ (1.91);
=5. Roschell Clayton’ (Vill-Jam) 6-1½ (1.87);
=5. *Jenna Rogers (Nb) 6-1½;
=7. Cierra Allphin (BYU) 6-1½;
=7. **Cheyla Scott (Or) 6-1½;
9. tie, **Alice Taylor’ (Rice-NZ) & *Bara Sajdoková’ (Il-CzR) 6-1½; 11. Morgan Smalls (LSU) 5-11½ (1.82); 12. Charity Hufnagel (Ky) 5-11½; 13. tie, *Rachel Glenn (Ar) & ***Claire Lowrey (TxT) 5-11½; 15. tie, ***Amelia Benjamin (Alb) & *Destiny Masters (Wich) 5-9¾ (1.77); 17. E. Grace Quinlan (InSt) 5-9¾; 18. **Celia Rifaterra’ (Va-Spa) 5-9¾; 19. Claire Bryant (Fl) 5-9¾; 20. Meghan Fletcher (Murr) 5-9¾; 21. tie, Nissi Kabongo (TxAM) & Katie Isenbarger (WnKy) 5-9¾; 23. *Soledad Jean (Louis) 5-7¾ (1.72);… nh—Brianna Smith (Duke).
| 5-7¾ | 5-9¾ | 5-11½ | 6-1½ | 6-3¼ | 6-4¼ | 6-5½ | 6-6¾ | |
| Isenbarger | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kulichenko | ppp | ppp | o | xo | o | xxo | xxo | xxx |
| Jean | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Glenn | ppp | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Benjamin | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Masters | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Smalls | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Distin | ppp | ppp | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — |
| Adeshina | ppp | o | o | o | xxo | xxo | xxo | xxx |
| Yeboah | ppp | o | xo | o | xxo | o | xxo | xxx |
| Hufnagel | ppp | xo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Scott | ppp | xo | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Lowrey | o | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Clayton | ppp | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Bryant | xo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kabongo | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Quinlan | xxo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fletcher | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rogers | ppp | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Allphin | ppp | o | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Rifaterra | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sajdokova | ppp | o | xxo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Smith | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor | o | xo | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| 1.72 | 1.77 | 1.82 | 1.87 | 1.91 | 1.94 | 1.97 | 2.00 |