EUGENE, Ore. – UT Arlington high jumper
Bryson DeBerry wrapped up a standout senior season for the Mavericks on Friday with a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships from Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus.
DeBerry jumped 16th out of the field of 24, and he cleared the first bar of 2.10m (6-10¾) on his initial attempt without any difficulty. He also easily got over the next progression at 2.15m (7-0½) on his first try.
The next bar was placed at 2.20m (7-2½) – a height no UTA outdoor high jumper has ever cleared. DeBerry did not get over the bar on his first try, but nearly achieved the necessary height on his second attempt. However, that left him with a third, and final, effort to advance, but that too was unsuccessful.
"It's been a long season, and Bryson fought through a lot of adversity just to reach the national championships," said UTA head coach
John Sauerhage. "He's disappointed for sure, but he should be proud because only the very best in the country even get to this point. We're proud of everything he accomplished this year, and we're already looking forward to next season."
In a testament to Sauerhage's comments regarding DeBerry's accomplishments, he started the year by being named a First Team All-American in the indoor high jump after his second-straight Sun Belt Conference championship. He followed it up by claiming silver at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships before posting a record-setting jump at the West Prelims to punch his ticket to nationals.
At the West Prelims, the Plainview, Texas, native cleared a bar no one else in outdoor program history ever had previously at 2.19m (7-2¼) to advance to Eugene.
DeBerry was one of two Mavericks who qualified for the national championships as he was joined in the Pacific Northwest by javelin thrower
Arthur Petersen. The freshman from Denmark finished 11th in the country in his event.
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