ROCHESTER, NY (May 27, 2023) – In a spectacular performance at the NCAA Men's Outdoor Track & Field Championships today, Tufts University junior
Harry Rienecker-Found finished as the co-national champion in the high jump.
Rienecker-Found, who was seeded 14th entering the meet, tied with 19th-seed Brady Vilvens of Wilmington College (Ohio) in a dramatic, uplifting finish to the event.
Those two and Susquehanna's Bryce Ellinger were the final competitors in the high jump after succeeding at 2.08m (6'9 ¾"), which was a PR for Reinecker-Found. With the national title on the line, the height went to 2.11m (6'11"). All three missed in their attempts, including Rienecker-Found injuring his hamstring on his second attempt forcing him to pass on his third attempt. Ellinger took third place, based on four previous misses (Rienecker-Found and Vilvens only had one).
Typically a tie-breaker jump-off would be held, but Rienecker-Found was unable to continue due to his injury. Vilvens could have forced the jump-off anyway and won the title outright, but in a great display of sportsmanship agreed to the tie as a final result.
Rienecker-Found had missed just once at the five heights leading up to 2.11m, with makes on his first tries at 1.92m (6'3 ½"), 1.97m (6'5 ½") and 2.02m (6'7 ½"). After a first miss at 2.05m (6'8 ¾"), he made it and then cleared his first try at 2.08m (6'9 ¾"). Vilvens matched those results, which forced the potential tie-breaker in the end.
This is the first NCAA championship for the men's team since the 2018 outdoor meet when Stefan Duvivier won, also in the high jump. It's the sixth individual or relay national title won by Jumbos in the 2022-23 academic year.
Competing at his fourth NCAA meet (second outdoors), Reinecker-Found is an All-American for the second time including his fifth-place finish indoors in 2022.
With the nine points earned by Rienecker-Found for the first-place tie, Tufts was 32nd in the team standings for the meet.
--JUMBOS--
