RHIT's Liz Evans Earns Fourth NCAA National Championship

Release courtesy of Rose-Hulman

CLAREMONT, CA -- Junior Liz Evans (Bicknell, Ind./North Knox) became the first Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology student-athlete to earn four career NCAA Division III National Championships by winning the high jump at Friday's 2012 Outdoor National Meet at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

Evans also becomes just the second athlete in NCAA Division III history to earn four consecutive women's high jump national championships between indoor and outdoor meets.  She has earned six All-American awards with four first-place efforts (2011 Indoors and Outdoors; 2012 Indoors and Outdoors) and two national runner-up performances (2010 Indoors and Outdoors).

Evans cleared 5' 8" in windy conditions to join Michelle Riedi of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Christy Schumann of Trinity (Texas) as four-time NCAA Division III National Champions in the women's high jump.  Kim Oden from Nebraska Wesleyan is the only women's high jump competitor in NCAA history with more Division III national titles (seven) and also won four straight championships. 

Three vaulters cleared 5' 8" on the day, but Evans soared over the bar on the first attempt to win the national championship.  Shelby Demos of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Julia Baranek of Wisconsin-Eau Claire also cleared 5' 8" but did so on their second attempt.

The mathematics and electrical engineering double major surpassed three-time national champion Chris Trapp as the most decorated national champion in Rose-Hulman history.  She also earned second-team Capital One Academic All-American honors in 2010.