Taylor Smith Finishes Second at NCAA Championships

March 11, 2016

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Air Force junior Taylor Smith finished second in the high jump at the 2016 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, which concluded its opening night of competition this evening (March 11) in Alabama. Smith was one of two first-team All-America honorees for the Falcons, as senior Hannah Everson finished seventh in the 5000-meter run.

Smith became the first high jumper in Academy history to earn All-America status, as he matched the program's highest placement at an indoor championship meet. The junior easily cleared the opening bar of 6'11¾" on his first attempt – one of just five to successfully clear on the first try. He remained perfect with another first-attempt clearance at 7'1¾" – a bar that whittled the field from 16 to nine. As the bar was raised to its third height (a would-be career-high of 7'3¾"), Smith was the only perfect jumper. All nine of the remaining athletes missed their first two attempts at that bar, while just one (Trey Culver, Texas Tech) cleared the bar on his final attempt. Smith, who entered the meet seeded sixth, finished second and became the program's first indoor podium finisher in two years.

Everson continued her history-making senior season tonight at the Birmingham CrossPlex, as she became the program's first female indoor All-American at the Division I level. Everson, who entered the national meet as the No. 16 seed, got within the top half of the pack from the gun. She moved into the top seven with 1600 meters to go and held on to finish seventh, crossing the finish line in a time of 16:04.37.

Sophomore Jamiel Trimble and senior Dylan Bell also competed in the NCAA Championships tonight. Trimble finished 16th in the preliminary round of the 200-meter dash (21.43), while Bell was unable to clear the opening height (17'2¾") in the pole vault.

The Falcons conclude the indoor season tomorrow (March 12), when senior Patrick Corona competes in the 3000-meter run at 6:10 p.m. (CT).

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