BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Junior Ashley Sheldon broke her own school record yet again and took third place in the high jump on day two of the NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, held at the Birmingham Crossplex on Saturday.
Sheldon's record-setting finish, which earned her USTFCCCA All-America first-team laurels, is the second-highest individual finish at an NCAA Championship in program history, behind only the second-place result for Allison Cuozzo '10, HOF '24 in the 400-meter dash in 2007-08. She also is the first Union indoor field athlete (men's or women's) to earn first-team All-America honors since Rich Pulver '95, HOF '10 in the shot put in 1994-95.
Sheldon had a fantastic day on Saturday, clearing the first four heights on her first attempt, including the previous program record of 1.70 meters (5'7") that she cleared to win the AARTFC Championship and book her ticket to nationals last weekend. After seeing six of the eight competitors before her miss on all three attempts at 1.73 meters (5'8"), Sheldon cleared the bar on her third and final chance to clinch a spot in the top-three and also become the first Liberty League women's high jumper ever to clear that height. Sheldon and Dubuque University's Jaden Gatts both clipped the bar on all three chances at 1.76 meters (5'9.25"), while Centre College's Serena McNeilly made it over cleanly on her first try to take the national title.
"Today went better than expected," said Sheldon after the meet. "The focus was just on one bar at a time and trying to improve upon my freshman year self. I'm grateful for the opportunity and proud of how I competed in this environment, surrounded by such a supportive and competitive group of women."
Sheldon's third-place result earned Union six points and tied the team for 31st place overall, the program's second-highest finish at the NCAA Championships, trailing only the eight points earned by Cuozzo in 2007-08.
