Freshman Donovan Lara finished 28th in the Men's High Jump as UNCW's three student-athletes wrapped up their appearance in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field East Preliminary Round on Friday at Indiana's Haugh Track & Field Complex in Bloomington, Ind.
Lara, the CAA high jump champion, cleared 6-8.75 to wind up 28th out of 47 competitors. He qualified for the meet by reaching 6-10.25 at South Carolina's Gamecock Invitational on April 16, 2022.
Student-athletes ranked in the top-48 in their event earned a berth to the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds. The top 12 times/marks and the 12 best relay teams at the East and West Preliminary Rounds sites then qualify for the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., on June 8-11, 2022.
"Donovan was confident, poised and ready to jump today," said Jeff Klaves, UNCW's third-year head coach. "We had a distinct game plan to open. We know this is just the beginning for Donovan. We know he belongs. We're really excited to build the program around outstanding student-athletes like Donovan."
The bouncy Lara enjoyed making his NCAA debut and is looking forward to returning to the national stage.
"It's definitely a big accomplishment for me to make it in my freshman year," he said. "We could have jumped a little better, but overall I'm happy with my performance. The competition was amazing and really good. We worked all season to be here and accomplish this goal.
"With dual pits, it's more fast-paced. Having two pits open brings an edge to the competition. You look to the right or left and it makes you more excited. I'm very thankful for this opportunity. In the future, I want to make the top-12 and qualify for Oregon."
Lara, from Seagrove, N.C., joined hurdler Josh Parks and long jumper Courtney Lines this week in Indiana. All three student-athletes are scheduled to return to the team in 2022-23.
UNCW Results | 2022 NCAA Track & Field East Preliminary Round | Bloomington, Ind.
Name Event Date Place Time/Mark
Josh Parks 110 Hurdles 5-25-22 33rd 14.00
Josh Parks 400 Hurdles 5-25-22 39th 53.01
Courtney Lines Long Jump 5-26-22 30th 19-1.25
Donovan Lara High Jump 5-27-22 28th 6-8.75
Original source can be found here.
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