July 17, 2000

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Senior Vanessa Jones (Olney, Md.) came up short in her bid to make the U.S. Olympic team in the high jump event on Sunday at the U.S. track and field trials. Jones, who was competing as one of six collegians in the finals of the event, closed out her first national competition as one of 13 jumpers who had earned the right to jump in the finals of the event in an attempt to compete at the Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Jones jumped 5-10 3/4 on Friday to qualify for the finals in the event. She was unable, though, on Sunday to clear 5-10 on three jumps during the Sunday's final. She cleared the bar on the way up but caught it with her legs on the way down during her first two jumps as she came agonizingly close to advancing to the later rounds.

Karol Damon, won the event with a jump of 6-4. Erin Aldrich (University of Texas) who also cleared 6-4 followed her to finish in second place. Amy Acuff of the New Balance Track team earned the third spot on the U.S. team as she cleared 6-2 during the competition.