Penn State Behrend's Bryson Hartzler (Belleville, PA/Indian Valley) competed in the high jump today at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Marietta College in Ohio. Hartzler cleared a height of 1.93 meters (6’4”) on his way to 16th place.

Hartzler cleared the opening height of 1.93m on his second attempt. The entire field of 18 either cleared or passed at the height, and the bar was raised to 1.98m (6’6”). Hartzler had three solid attempts at the height, very narrowly missing on attempt number two, but was unable to clear. The eventual winner of the event was John Kimmel, a junior from Manchester College, who cleared a height of 2.09m (6’11.5”).

Head coach Greg Cooper said of Hartzler’s effort, “Finishing 16th in the national championship is an excellent performance. The result was perhaps short of our hopes but great nonetheless.”

A sophomore, Hartzler qualified for the championships by clearing a height of 2.05 meters (6’8.75”) at the team’s first outdoor meet. The clearance broke the school record of 1.95m (6’4.75”) that Hartzler set in 2008, and seeded him in a six-way tie for tenth at the championships.

In just its eleventh year as a program, track and field at Behrend has grown steadily. Hartzler is the eleventh Behrend athlete to meet a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Championships and is just the third to be selected to compete. Each of the college’s three competing athletes have traveled to the outdoor championship meet within the last six seasons. Previous competitors are Staci Banaszek (high jump; 2006) and Dan Mitchell (javelin; 2004, 2006, 2007).

Coach Cooper added, “Bryson ranks right up there with Staci and Dan as one of the best athletes to ever come through the Behrend Track and Field program. His continued improvement, along with our team’s continued improvement, will only lead to an increase in great performances like this, and very soon an All-America athlete.”