University of Georgia Athletics
Georgia's Patricia Sylvester Wins NCAA High Jump Title
March 09, 2007 | Track & Field
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. --- Senior Patricia Sylvester won a national title in the high jump with a school-record effort during the first day of the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday.
Sylvester, who also won the high jump at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships this season, and sophomore teammate Levern Spencer both cleared 6 feet, 2 ¼ inches, which breaks the previous school record they already shared of 6-2, to finish in the top two spots at the Randal Tyson Track Center. On the men’s side, senior Ian Burrell notched All-American honors in the 5000-meter run.
Thanks to the 18 points from Sylvester (10) and Spencer (8), the fourth-ranked Lady Bulldogs completed the first day of the meet in fourth place. Only Arizona State (21), LSU (20) and Tennessee (19) were ahead of the Georgia women, who tied for fifth at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships.
“If not for the way we have trained this season and for all of the encouragement I got from the coaches and my teammates, I would not have won today. The confidence I got from all of the encouragement was the real thing that helped me win today,” said Sylvester, who notched her fourth All-American certificate and will be gunning for a win in the triple jump on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. EDT. “It was fun out there and it didn’t seem like a competition. I wasn’t thinking about winning, but I was thinking what it would be like if Levern and I were the last two left and it happened.”
Georgia assistant coach Tonya Lee said she was pleased Sylvester, who was the co-winner of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Coaches Association South Region Women’s Field Athlete of the Year, capped off her final collegiate meet with a first-place finish.
“We are excited for Patty to win this title during her last NCAA meet and this is something all of the coaching staff has been expecting from Patty,” said Lee, who also saw junior Natalie Picchetti advance to the women’s mile finals. “It was great watching the event and seeing both of our girls outlast the rest of the field. Now we’re hoping she can have similar success in the triple jump (on Saturday).”
In addition to Sylvester and Spencer, both Texas’ Destinee Hooker, who was the nation’s top-ranked high jumper coming into the meet after clearing 6-5 earlier in the season, and Cornell’s Sarah Wilfred were the only four who soared over the bar at 6-1.25. But three straight misses by both Hooker and Wilfred at 6-2.25 left Sylvester and Spencer battling for the national title. Although Georgia’s duo missed all of their attempts at 6-3.50, Sylvester only had one miss to Spencer’s two at 6-2.25 to clinch the title.
Sylvester’s high jump crown is the 11th national individual women’s championship in Georgia track and field history. Spencer, who was also the runner-up at the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships, finished third at this year’s SEC Indoor Championships.
“I just wanted to have a (personal best) so I am happy for my finish and for Patty,” said Spencer, who earned All-American honors for the third straight season at Georgia.
In the women’s mile prelims, junior Natalie Picchetti made the best out of her first trip to the NCAA Indoor Championships by advancing to Saturday’s finals. Picchetti finished fourth in her heat and eighth overall after with the second-best time of her career (4:45.23). Picchetti, who is No. 2 in the school’s record books after finishing in 4:42.70 on the Arkansas track earlier this season, will race in mile final on Saturday at 7:15.
Representing the men in the 5000, Burrell earned All-American honors after finishing 10th (13:56.26). Burrell, who was the SEC champion in both the 3000 and 5000, stayed with the lead pack for a majority of the race before dropping back. His time was right at 10 seconds slower than his school record mark, which came at the Tyson Invitational earlier this season, but he still managed to take home Georgia’s third All-American certificate of the meet.
Also on the men’s side, sophomore Nate Rolfe started the action for the Bulldogs in the weight throw. The Kenmore, Wash., native launched the third-longest throw of his career with an effort of 65-7 on his first attempt. Rolfe’s final two throws during the preliminary round were fouls, which gave him 13th place in the prelims and ended his first trip to the national meet.
Rolfe, who is a transfer from the University of California-Berkeley, completed his indoor campaign with the seventh-longest throw in the Georgia record books after recording a mark of 67-7 at the Virginia Tech Last Chance meet.
Senior David Dickens also wrapped up his indoor career on Friday. Dickens, a 2006 indoor All-American in the 200, clocked a 47.51 in the preliminary round of the 400. The Marietta, Ga., native finished third in his heat and 14th overall, which did not advance him to the finals. Florida State’s Ricardo Chambers, who was the top-ranked sprinter in the event, won Dickens’ heat with the nation’s top collegiate time of 45.64.
While Dickens still has another outdoor season of eligibility, he completed his indoor career at the top of the school record books in the 200 (21.05) and the 400 (46.27) and was a leg of the second-fastest 4x400 relay team (3:08.47) in Georgia history.
Jennifer Dahlgren (weight), Kyle Helf and Daniel Vanek (shot put), Natalie Picchetti (mile) and Sylvester (triple jump) will be competing for Georgia during the meet’s second day.
Full results and a recap from the NCAA Championships can be found at georgiadogs.com.
Fans can watch the NCAA Championships live by logging on ESPN360.com. Coverage will begin on Saturday from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Note: The scoring for the NCAA meet is done on the following scale: first place-10 points, second place-8 points, third place-6 points, fourth place-five points, fifth place-four points, sixth place-three points, seventh place-two points and eighth place-one point.Team Scores (Top 10)
WOMEN MEN
1. Arizona State – 21 points 1. Wisconsin – 20 points
2. LSU – 20 T2. Auburn - 15
3. Tennessee – 19 T2. Tennessee - 15
4. Georgia – 18 T2. Arkansas - 15
5. Texas – 14 T2. Florida State – 15
T6. Texas Tech - 10 6. Michigan – 13
T6. UCLA – 10 7. LSU – 12
T6. North Carolina - 10 8. Louisville – 11
T6. Georgia Tech - 10 T9. McNeese State – 10
T6. Auburn – 10 T9. Kansas – 10
T9. Stanford - 10
Georgia’s 2007 NCAA ChampionsWOMEN
*Patricia Sylvester – High jump (6 feet, 2 ¼ inches)
Georgia’s Competitors at the NCAA Championships – Day OneWOMEN
Athlete Event Time or Mark - Finish*Patricia Sylvester High jump PR, SR 6-2.25 – 1st
*Levern Spencer High jump PR, SR 6-2.25 – 2nd
Natalie Picchetti Mile (PRELIMS) 4:45.23 – 8th
MEN
*Ian Burrell 5000-meter run 13:56.26 – 10th
Nate Rolfe Weight (PRELIMS) 65-7 - 13th
David Dickens 400-meter dash (PRELIMS 47.51 – 14th
Additional notes about the high jump finishes:
- This was the first time Georgia has had two competitors finish first and second in the same event in the same season at an NCAA meet.
- Sylvester’s title was the first NCAA high jump title for both the men and the women in school history.
- Sylvester’s mark broke her the Grenada national indoor record and Spencer’s mark broke the St. Lucia national indoor record.
* = All-American honors
PR = indoor personal best
SR = school record
