Arizona senior Brigetta Barrett adds to her collection of NCAA high jump titles
by Anthony Gimino on Mar. 08, 2013, under Sports
Brigetta Barrett celebrates after a successful jump Friday. Photo by Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Arizona Wildcats senior Brigetta Barrett became the first woman in NCAA history to win three consecutive indoor high jump titles Friday, although she fell short of a bid for a collegiate record.
Barrett won the competition in Fayetteville, Ark., with a jump of 6 feet, 4 3/4 inches. She then set the bar at 6-6 1/4 — a quarter of an inch above the college record — but failed in three attempts.
She’ll make another run at that mark during the outdoor track and field season.
“Three in a row, I’ve had a great collegiate career,” Barrett said in a UA press release.
“I’ve had the best college experience, in general, that I could have ever asked for. To win three, it definitely means a lot because I didn’t realize how many people I inspire or how many people are watching me.
“To let them know that anything is possible … to be a living example of that is a great thing. I wanted it (the collegiate record) bad but God has a plan for me, it just gives me more fuel for outdoors.”
Barrett has won two consecutive outdoor titles, giving her five NCAA championships in a row. And then there is the silver medal she won for the United States last summer, when she jumped 6-8, the best mark ever for a college athlete (although it doesn’t count toward the NCAA record).
Senior Georganne Moline set a school record and a personal best in the 400 meters, qualifying for the Saturday final with a time of 52.21 seconds. Junior Lawi Lalang had the fastest time in the preliminary rounds of the mile (3:58.52); the final is Saturday.
