Lehigh University Athletics
Wednesday, June 7
Eugene, Ore.
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NCAA Championships
Avery Collects First Team All-America Honors at NCAA Championships
6/10/2017 9:09:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
Complete Results (PDF)
EUGENE, Ore. – Lehigh senior Courtney Avery tied for sixth place (1.82 meters) on Saturday night in the high jump at the NCAA Championships. In doing so, she becomes the first female in Lehigh history, in any sport, to earn First Team All-America Honors.
Avery cleared 1.73 meters, 1.78m and 1.82m, all on her first attempts at each height, to tie her own school record. She was one of seven jumpers who cleared each of the first three bars on their first attempts. She then missed on her three attempts at 1.85 meters, finishing in a three-way tie for sixth place. It is the third time this season she has cleared 1.82 meters.
This is the second straight All-America accolade for Avery, who took home second team honors last year when she tied for 11th place overall (1.78m). She is the only female in the history of the Lehigh track and field program to earn All-America honors and one of only four in school history (any sport) to earn multiple All-America honors.
"She was more confident this year," head coach Matt Utesch said of Avery's second straight trip to Eugene. "She knew what to expect, the venue is familiar and she knows how to prepare including her routine of how to warm up. She's seen these competitors before at the national meet last year and other meets this year.
"We had to adjust her approach quite a bit," Utesch said regarding strong tailwind at the track. "It was mostly taken care of in warmups. She knew she was too close to the bar and had to move back about a foot-and-a-half. She was not thrown off of her game at all and she didn't even question it."
Avery is part of a group of eight women in Lehigh history to be crowned All-Americans. Elizabeth Weiler earned All-America honors in cross country in 2015. Women's lacrosse has the other six All-America honorees including Brenda Serois (1983), Karyn Yost (1983, 1985), Carla Juliani (1987), Liz Brode (1994 and 1995), Jill Altshuler (1995 and 1996) and Lauren Dykstra (2011).
A seven-time Patriot League champion, including three outdoor titles, Avery caps what is among the most decorated careers in program history. She is one of eight women to win multiple high jump Championship of America events at the Penn Relays after taking first place each of the last two years. She qualified for the NCAA First Round in outdoors all four years and made it to the finals in Oregon each of the last two years. She is a two-time ECAC champion (2015 and 2017) and earned the title of Most Outstanding Field Performer at the PL Indoor Championships in 2016.
"To try and reflect on what she means to the program is pretty hard to do," Utesch said. "I think when you say she is the most decorated athlete in program history, that is an incredible achievement. The difference is she is an incredible person. I would say the same about Lucas Warning as well. Lehigh Athletics embodies getting good people. They have good GPA's, Courtney is in graduate school and Luke has his job lined up. That's what our athletic department is all about, and they embody that."
Follow Lehigh Track and Field on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
RELATED: Warning Earns Second Team All-America Honors at NCAA Championships
EUGENE, Ore. – Lehigh senior Courtney Avery tied for sixth place (1.82 meters) on Saturday night in the high jump at the NCAA Championships. In doing so, she becomes the first female in Lehigh history, in any sport, to earn First Team All-America Honors.
Avery cleared 1.73 meters, 1.78m and 1.82m, all on her first attempts at each height, to tie her own school record. She was one of seven jumpers who cleared each of the first three bars on their first attempts. She then missed on her three attempts at 1.85 meters, finishing in a three-way tie for sixth place. It is the third time this season she has cleared 1.82 meters.
This is the second straight All-America accolade for Avery, who took home second team honors last year when she tied for 11th place overall (1.78m). She is the only female in the history of the Lehigh track and field program to earn All-America honors and one of only four in school history (any sport) to earn multiple All-America honors.
"She was more confident this year," head coach Matt Utesch said of Avery's second straight trip to Eugene. "She knew what to expect, the venue is familiar and she knows how to prepare including her routine of how to warm up. She's seen these competitors before at the national meet last year and other meets this year.
"We had to adjust her approach quite a bit," Utesch said regarding strong tailwind at the track. "It was mostly taken care of in warmups. She knew she was too close to the bar and had to move back about a foot-and-a-half. She was not thrown off of her game at all and she didn't even question it."
Avery is part of a group of eight women in Lehigh history to be crowned All-Americans. Elizabeth Weiler earned All-America honors in cross country in 2015. Women's lacrosse has the other six All-America honorees including Brenda Serois (1983), Karyn Yost (1983, 1985), Carla Juliani (1987), Liz Brode (1994 and 1995), Jill Altshuler (1995 and 1996) and Lauren Dykstra (2011).
A seven-time Patriot League champion, including three outdoor titles, Avery caps what is among the most decorated careers in program history. She is one of eight women to win multiple high jump Championship of America events at the Penn Relays after taking first place each of the last two years. She qualified for the NCAA First Round in outdoors all four years and made it to the finals in Oregon each of the last two years. She is a two-time ECAC champion (2015 and 2017) and earned the title of Most Outstanding Field Performer at the PL Indoor Championships in 2016.
"To try and reflect on what she means to the program is pretty hard to do," Utesch said. "I think when you say she is the most decorated athlete in program history, that is an incredible achievement. The difference is she is an incredible person. I would say the same about Lucas Warning as well. Lehigh Athletics embodies getting good people. They have good GPA's, Courtney is in graduate school and Luke has his job lined up. That's what our athletic department is all about, and they embody that."
Follow Lehigh Track and Field on Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content, team updates and more.
RELATED: Warning Earns Second Team All-America Honors at NCAA Championships
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