UCLA’s Griffith Wins the High Jump

The Griffith name took its place in UCLA track and field history again Thursday when Darnesha Griffith--a niece of the late Florence Griffith Joyner--won the NCAA high jump title at Louisiana State’s Bernie Moore Stadium.

Griffith needed to clear only six feet to win, but completed a rare double by adding the title to the NCAA indoor championship she won in March, making her the fifth woman to sweep the titles.

Griffith lived with Griffith Joyner and her husband, Al Joyner, her senior year at Trabuco Hills High. Griffith was a freshman at UCLA when Griffith Joyner died of a seizure in 1998 at 38.

Asked about her aunt after her victory, Griffith smiled.

“Oh, she knows,” she said.

“She was very supportive. Her and Al got me into track, and I’ve loved it ever since.”

Joyner still coaches Griffith as a UCLA assistant.

After two days, the top-ranked UCLA women lead the NCAA meet with 25 points. Defending champion USC is fourth with 11, trailing Washington State and Kansas State.

USC’s hopes of its first individual title of the meet ended when defending javelin champion Inga Stasiulionyte passed on all three throws in the finals because of a sore right elbow. She finished second with a throw of 177 feet.

Realistically, her hopes ended in the preliminaries when Serene Ross of Purdue set an American record at 195 feet 8 inches on her first throw.

USC’s Angela Williams took an easy step in her attempt to win a fourth consecutive title in the 100 meters, winning her preliminary heat in 11.39 seconds.

The surprise of the day in the men’s competition came when Stanford’s Gabe Jennings, a 2000 Olympian, failed to reach the 1,500 meter final.

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Georgia Tech and Clemson are tied for the second-round lead in the NCAA golf championship at Upper Arlington, Ohio. Washington’s Brock Mackenzie leads the individual competition at seven-under 135.