Photo Credit: Ashley Tysiac/MileSplit
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Forgive JaiCieonna Gero-Holt for that early miss.
The high school junior from Emerald Ridge (OR) clipped the bar on her first attempt at 1.77 meters (5-9.75) on Friday in the women's high jump at USATF Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Any other teenager in a high-pressure situation may have panicked. Not Gero-Holt. The 17-year-old had been here before, and she responded right away.
She didn't miss again until their were two women left.
That left Gero-Holt to claim a runner-up finish at U.S. Indoors with a new career best clearance of 1.89 meters (6-2.25).
"To be able to come out here a year later, to go from fifth to second, all I can do is give glory to God," she said.
Vashti Cunningham, the reigning -- and multiple-time -- U.S. champion, won the event at 1.92m.
Gero-Holt's previous best was 1.87m at the USATF U20 Championships in July. A year ago, she finished fifth at U.S. Indoors as a high school sophomore.
"My goal was just to get higher than fifth," she said. "That was my goal."
The high school junior was still 0.04 meters shy of the world indoor standard of 1.93m, which could prohibit her selection for the U.S. team headed to the World Indoor Championships.
Related Links:
U.S. Indoor Championships meet page
