In her first outdoor college meet, Virginia freshman Hannah Byrd-Leitner cleared a lifetime-best 13-5 ¼ at the Virginia Opener in Charlottesville.
That ties the No. 4 clearance in school history and is No. 2 among freshmen, behind only Sam Romano’s 14-0 ½ in Raleigh in 2023.
Byrd-Leitner, from Moorestown, had a previous personal-best 13-3 from an indoor meet last month in a meet in Blacksburg, Va. That is No. 6 in school history indoors and No. 2 among freshmen.
On Saturday, Byrd-Leitner opened at 12-3 ½ and cleared on her 1st attempt. She also cleared 12-9 ½ on her 1st attempt and then 13-3 ¼ on her 2nd to clinch the win. She had the bar moved up to 13-5 ¼ and cleared on her 1st attempt. She also took three attempts at 13-7 ¼.
Her 13-5 ¼ is 4th-best on the all-time South Jersey performance list. Millville’s Kaitlyn Dermen cleared 14-4 in Basking Ridge in July 2024, Stephanie Maugham of Shawnee cleared 14-0 ¾ in Fresno in April 2002 and Moorestown graduate Anna Heim cleared 13-8 in Springfield, Mass., in May 2010.
Byrd-Leitner is 11th in NCAA Division 1 after one weekend of the outdoor season and the top freshman in the country.
The qualifying standard for USATF Under-20 Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene in June is 13-7 ¼. Byrd-Leitner would need to turn 21 after Dec. 31 to be eligible if she clears 13-7 ¼ this spring.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 