CHARLESTON, S.C. - College of Charleston sophomore high-jumper Emily Smith (Rock Hills, S.C./Northwestern) has been selected to compete in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships East Region Preliminary Round on May 27 in Greensboro, N.C.
To qualify, Smith had to be one of the top 48 performers on in the East Region which spans 25 states from Maine to Florida. The women will jump on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Aggie Stadium on North Carolina A&T State's campus and the top 12 finalists will earn a trip to Oregon for the National Championships on June 9-12.
Smith cleared a season-best height of 5'8½" at Clemson's Orange and Purple Meet on May 7. She also placed second at the Southern Conference Championships with a jump of 5'7".
This is the second straight year Smith has qualified for the NCAAs. She became the second track & field athlete in College of Charleston history when she competed in the NCAA East Regional last year. She finished eighth with a height of 5'8½", just 1½" short of advancing to the National Championships.
This is the first year the NCAA has divided the country into two preliminary rounds. In past years, there have been four regionals with the top six advancing to the National Championships.
