March 12, 2011
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue sophomore Geoff Davis tied for a fourth-place finish in the men's high jump at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, hosted by Texas A&M University at Gilliam Indoor Track Stadium. Davis is the fifth Boilermaker in school history to score in the event at the national indoor meet, picking up five team points for the Old Gold and Black.
Davis cleared 2.20 meters (7-02.50) on his first attempt Saturday, matching Maryland's Dwight Barbiasz and becoming the first Boilermaker to score in the men's high jump since Purdue indoor record holder Shaun Guice scored in four straight from 2000 to 2003. Both Davis and Barbiasz cleared 2.20 meters on their first attempt after making the opening height of 2.10 meters (6-10.75) and each having one miss before clearing 2.15 meters (7-00.50). The 4.5 team points are just shy of the Boilermakers' largest team total at the national indoor meet over the last five years, following the squad's five-point, 44th-place effort in 2008.
Indiana's Derek Drouin captured the national title in the men's high jump, clearing a facility-record 2.33 meters (7-07.75). Drouin was clean through 2.30 meters (7-06.50), and missed 2.33 once before clearing. Drouin left runner-up Ricky Robertson of Mississippi behind at 2.23 meters (7-03.75), while former NCAA leader Erik Kynard of Kansas State bowed out of the competition after clearing 2.20 meters clean for third place.
Davis and fellow NCAA Championship competitor Dani Bunch await word of their official All-America status, which will be announced by the USTFCCCA sometime this week. The Boilermakers start the outdoor season next Saturday, March 26, heading to Mississippi State University in Starkville, Miss., for the SEC/Big Ten Challenge.