EMPORIA, Kansas -- Kaylee Best represented Vanguard track & field at the NCAA Division II Championships the past two days in the long and triple jump events.
In the long jump, Best made her statement on her first attempt, as she flew 6.12m (20' 1"), the longest jump out of the gate among all participants. That mark stood until the field was cut from 22 to nine individuals, and though Best got three more shots to improve her distance, she could not do so. Two other jumpers passed her during the final stretch, with Miranda Lauvsted of Minnesota State moving into second (6.27m, 20' 7"), and Blakelee Winn of Pittsburg State vaulting to first (6.33m, 20' 9 ¼"). It looked like Best was going to finish third until Denise Hernandez (Lewis, Ind.) snagged a 6.23m (20' 5 ¼") jump on her final try to push Best into fourth. That said, her performance earned her the honor of becoming the first NCAA DII All-American in Vanguard history, and she could not have been more pleased.
"I'm extremely happy with my long jump performance at Nationals, and I'm beyond grateful for everyone who has helped me get here," relayed Best. "All glory to God for giving me His strength and His joy that has allowed me to go so far this season. I can't wait to see how the triple jump goes!"
"Unbelievably proud of Kaylee, the big stage is where she thrives," said her jumps coach, Ryan Sugihara. "The results show her incredible dedication to the development process and the joy she carries with her in all she does."
In said second event, Best made an initial score of 12.07m (39' 7 ¼") before putting her furthest mark down with a 12.12m plunge (39' 9 ¼"). Unfortunately, her final jump was under 12m (11.7m), and she came up shy of moving on to the final phase of the competition, placing 13th out of the lineup of 21.
"We're super proud of Kaylee and all she accomplished these past two days, and all season long," said Head Coach Bryan Wilkins. "She has been an amazing gift to our program, a wonderful teammate, dedicated, hard working, and all-in from day one. Kaylee is a true Lion!"
