Advertiser Staff
Amber Kaufman became the first University of Hawai�i athlete to medal at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships yesterday, taking second in the high jump.

Kaufman was flawless through her first six high jumps, but failed to clear 6 foot 4 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. Arizona senior Elizabeth Patterson missed five jumps on the way to 6-4 (1.93 meters), including her first two at 6-2 3/4 (1.90). But she cleared that height on her final try and went over 6-4 on her first to capture her second NCAA gold and tie her personal best.
Kaufman missed all three tries at 6-4, which would also have tied her personal best. They were her only three misses of the day as she cleared her first six heights on the first attempt.
�As much height as she had at nine three (1.93) and just not finish it off is tough,� said UH coach Carmyn James. �I�m so proud her, but to be that close, millimeters from winning the whole thing � she was teary-eyed. Hopefully this will fire her up for Outdoors.�
Only four jumpers got over 6 feet yesterday. Arizona freshman Brigetta Barrett and Nebraska senior Bullock Epley were eliminated at 6-1 1/4.
Patterson was second to Destinee Hooker at the NCAA Indoors and Outdoors last year and won the NCAA Outdoor title as a sophomore. Arizona has claimed a record eight women�s high jumping titles in the NCAA�s 30-year track history.
Kaufman was sixth Indoors and third Outdoors last year, and also earned All-America honors at the 2008 NCAA Outdoors with a fifth-place finish. The senior from San Jose, Calif., was also an AVCA honorable mention All-American in volleyball, helping the Rainbow Wahine reach the final four.
In the February issue of Volleyball Magazine, Kaufman and teammate Kanani Danielson were on the Asics/Volleyball Magazine first team, with Aneli Cubi-Otineru on second team. Kalani graduate Tamari Miyashiro, a Washington senior, is also on first team.
In Austin, Texas, yesterday, UH junior Stephanie De Lima took sixth on the 3-meter springboard at the NCAA Zone E diving championships to advance to next week�s NCAA finals. The WAC champion � on all three boards � finished with a total of 602.40 to earn the final spot by more than 35 points.
A day earlier, she was seventh on the 1-meter. Six divers advance on each board.
Sophomore teammate Daniella Nero finished eighth on the 1-meter and ninth at 3 meters. Freshman Hannah Bocksnick did not advance to the final round (top 18) on either board.
On the men�s side, Hawai�i�s Douglas Cohen finished 11th in the 1-meter final yesterday and Thomas Rugg was 17th in the 3-meter final Thursday.
The final day of Zone E is today on the Platform.