June 15, 2003
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Georgia Tech freshman Chaunte Howard tied for second place in the high jump and earned All-America honors for the second time in her career late Saturday at the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium.
Howard was one of three competitors to clear 6’1.25″, but Washington State senior Whitney Evans won the title with fewer misses. Howard tied with Jessica Johnson of Arkansas, as both had the same number of miscues.
Howard’s runner-up finish was good for seven points in the team standings and led Tech to a tie for 36th place with Kansas State and Clemson. LSU captured the women’s title with 64 points, while Arkansas won the men’s crown.
The seven points and 36th-place finish mark the best finish for the Tech women since placing 30th with nine points at the 1999 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Howard’s second-place showing was the top individual performance for a Yellow Jacket since current assistant coach Andria King placed second in the 100-meter hurdles in ’99. Howard’s finish also ranks as Tech’s top field event performance since Natasha Alleyne won the indoor high jump title in 1992.
The All-America finish caps and outstanding rookie collegiate season for Howard. In addition to capturing All-America honors during both the indoor and outdoor campaigns, she also earned Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year honors in both seasons. She won a pair of conference titles and set the Tech outdoor school record at 6’2.25″
Howard is not done competing, as she leads a group of nine Jackets at the USA Track and Field National Championships and National Junior Championships at Stanford University, June 19-22.
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