March 14, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (www.ucfathletics.com) - Freshman UCF jumper Lizzie Harris (Miami, Fla.), the first Knight ever to participate in the NCAA Indoor Championships, matched her personal-best in the high jump to finish tied for ninth at the national meet Friday at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Harris earned the first indoor All-America honors in school history with her finish, as the top eight American-born competitors in the finals of each event garner the distinction.
Harris, who became UCF's first-ever Conference USA Champion two weeks ago by capturing the high jump, recorded a leap of 5-10.75 on Friday, which matched her personal-best mark that she set in early February at the Frank Sevigne Invitational in Lincoln, Neb.
Washington State's Ebba Jungmark, of Onsala Sweden, captured the event with a leap of 6-2.25, while Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's Sharon Day was second with a jump of 6-1.25.
"This is a great accomplishment for Lizzie to come to a national meet and compete at the same level that got her here, especially for a freshman," UCF head coach Caryl Smith Gilbert said. "It was a great showing by Lizzie and people are really starting to take notice of UCF track and field. This was just one of a number of great performances this year, and we are going to build on those as we get ready for the outdoor season."
Harris' mark in the high jump is one of three events in which she has set the school record in her inaugural season with the Knights. She also holds indoor school-record times in the 200 and 400-meter dashes. As a team, the Knights have set 12 indoor school records this season under the direction of Smith Gilbert.
Harris was just the second athlete in school history to compete in an NCAA Championship meet, as LesSundra Ford advanced to the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the high jump.
Harris and the Knights open their 2008 outdoor track and field season on Saturday, March 22, when they travel to Miami, to compete in the Miami Invitational.
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