VCU high jumper Brown invited to NCAA Indoor Championships

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Commonwealth junior Tanika Brown (Powhatan, Va./Powhatan) has been accepted to compete in the 2005 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, Friday, March 11 in Fayetteville, Ark. Brown, who will be competing in the high jump, tied for the 14th highest leap in the country with a mark of 5-10.75 and is one of 21 athletes vying for the NCAA high jump crown.

The junior posted an NCAA provisional qualifying mark while breaking a VCU record with her 5-10.75-leap during the team's first meet of the year at the United States Naval Academy on January 15. By surpassing the provisional mark of 5-10, Brown earned a chance to be invited to compete for the national championship, and after the indoor season concluded this past weekend, her jump was deemed worthy of a trip to Fayetteville.

This will be Brown's first ever trip to the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, but she is no stranger to the national scene during the outdoor campaign. As a freshman, she won the NCAA East Region title in the high jump and during her sophomore year advanced again to the NCAA Championships, finishing in 20th place.

The high jump competition is set to begin at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11.