Alyx Treasure brought new meaning to the phrase "hitting the standard" Saturday at the NCAA Big 12 indoor track and field championships in Ames, Iowa.
What she did in the warmup for her high jump event had nothing to do with measuring up to the qualifying standard she needs to compete in the NCAA indoor championships March 14-15 in Albuquerque, N.M.
She whacked the top of her head on one of the support posts that hold up the bar she was trying to clear in the Big 12 finals. It left a nasty gash on her head and was a psychological blow that kept her well below her capabilities at the meet.
She cleared 1.75 metres on her first attempt but was unable to get past 1.80 m on three attempts and finished with the silver medal. Shanay Briscoe of Texas University won gold when she soared to 1.80 m on her second attempt.
Treasure, a 21-year-old D.P. Todd secondary school graduate who grew up in Prince George,won the K-State Open a week ago on her home campus on Manhattan, Kan., with jump of a 1.83 m. That tied her indoor personal best and was only one centimetre below her all-time PB of 1.84 m, set March 31, 2012 at the Texas Relays.
Her performance a week ago was good enough for her to be selected Big 12 athlete of the week last week. Her 1.83 m jump ranks as the seventh-best in Kansas State history and is the best so far this year in a Big 12 competition.
As of Saturday, Treasure was unsure if she will make the cut for the top-16 that will compete in the NCAA indoor championships.
