| Freshman Keith Benford finished 13th in the high jump on Friday. |
EUGENE, Ore. — Freshman Keith Benford finished in a tie for 13th place as UTSA's first-ever high jump competitor at the NCAA Championships on Friday at historic Hayward Field.
The Pflugerville native easily cleared the opening height of the evening, 6-8 ¾ (2.05m), on his first attempt before going over the bar once again on his first try at 6-10 ¾ (2.10m). However, he was unable to advance after missing on all three of his jumps at 7-0 ¼ (2.14m). Indiana's Derek Drouin won the national title with his 7-5 (2.26m) measurement.
"I got off to a great start, but I'm really disappointed with my finish," Benford said. "On my first attempt, I hit the bar with my leg and I let the height get in my head. That threw my approach off on my last two jumps and without a proper approach, you really can't jump good."
"I'm really proud of Keith and what he accomplished today," head coach Aaron Fox said. "For him to come here as a freshman and finish in the top 15 is a great ending to a fantastic season. He's going to go to junior nationals in a couple weeks and I look forward to what he can accomplish there and the next three years at UTSA."
The Roadrunners finished with two All-Americans — junior Devon Bond (fifth/triple jump) and senior Teddy Williams (ninth/100 meters) — at the meet, a first in program history, and their four team points are the second-most in school annals, second only to the six scored in 1996. UTSA finished in a tie for 52nd place, while Texas A&M successfully defended its team title by one point, outscoring runner-up Florida, 55-54.
Benford and fellow freshman Phil Steinert (discus/hammer) will be back in action in two weeks at the USA Junior Championships, while four-time All-American Williams (100m) will compete at the USA Outdoor Championships. Both meets run from June 23-27 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.