Jillian Schwartz Earns All-America Honors with Third Place Pole Vault Performance

DURHAM, N.C. (June 2) - Jillian Schwartz became Duke's first women's track and field All America since 1986 with a school record-setting, third-place pole vault performance June 2 at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Wallace Wade Stadium. Schwartz broke her own school record of 3.94m/12-11 vault with a personal-best 4.10m/13-5 1/4 vault Friday.

Schwartz finished third behind the eventual NCAA champion Tracy O'Hara of UCLA who finished with a 4.40m/14-5 1/4 height. Kansas State's Erin Anderson finished second with a 4.20m/13-9 1/4 vault.

The 2000 ACC and ECAC pole vault champion Schwartz said the high level of competition benefitted her performance.

"I haven't been in a competition all year where the winning height was over 13-feet," Schwartz said. "It's great to be here at my home track with my family and friends.

The last Duke women's athlete to earn All America honors was Ellen Reynolds in 1986. She placed third in the 10,000-meters at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Indianapolis.

"I came into the competition ranked 18th last Thursday and I was waiting to get in and ended up finishing third. I PR-ed twice so I was real happy the way the meet went overall," said Schwartz who read a magazine between vaults during the competition. "I was really relaxed during the competition."

"It feels great to be an All America. I have so many friends and family out here and I think their cheering helped me. It means a lot to be able to do it at my home stadium."

Schwartz, who is coached by Duke pole vault coach Scott Still, was Duke's lone representative in the meet. With Schwartz' performance, Duke finished day three in 21st place with six points.

NCAA POLE VAULT CHAMPIONSHIPS

 1. Tracy O'Hara, UCLA			4.40m/14-5 1/4
 2. Erin Anderson, Kansas State		4.20m/13-9 1/4
 3. JILLIAN SCHWARTZ, Duke		4.10m/13-5 1/4
 4. Shae Bair, Utah State		4.10m/13-5 1/4
 5. Dena Dial, Oral Roberts		4.00m/13-1 1/2
 6. Andrea Neary, Arizona		4.00m/13-1 1/2
 7. Rhian Clarke, Houston		4.00m/13-1 1/2
 8. Maria Lopez, California		4.00m/13-1 1/2
 9. Andrea Wildrick, Liberty		4.00m/13-1 1/2
 9. Andrea Branson, Kansas		4.00m/13-1 1/2
11. Jennifer Ashcroft, Nevada		4.00m/13-1 1/2
12. Heather Sickler, UCLA		3.90m/12-9 1/2
13. Niki Reed, Oregon			3.90m/12-9 1/2
14. Becky Jackson, BYU			3.75m/12-3 1/2
15. Erica Hoernig, UCLA			3.75m/12-3 1/2
16. Sandy Erickson, Washington		3.75m/12-3 1/2
17. Laura Hawkins, Florida		3.75m/12-3 1/2
17. Kathleen Donoghue, Stanford		3.75m/12-3 1/2
19. Suzanne Krings, Montana		3.75m/12-3 1/2
20. Ebbie Metzinger, Purdue		3.60m/11-9 3/4
21. Brooke Lankard, Fresno State	3.60m/11-9 3/4

Jillian Schwartz Earns All-America Honors with Third Place Pole Vault Performance

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