June 8, 2005

Memphis, Tenn. - After narrowly missing out on NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2002 and 2003, the wait is finally over for Lisa-Marie Hyman, as the Memphis senior is set to jump at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships this weekend in Sacramento, Calif. Hyman's first trip down the runway is scheduled for 7:30 pm PST Friday night when the qualifying round of the women's triple jump will commence.

The three-time Conference USA Champion, who also claimed three runner-up finishes at conference meets, fell just short of NCAA qualifying marks in 2002 and 2003 before redshirting the 2004 outdoor season.

However, the Kingston, Jamaica, native would not be denied of her trip to the NCAA meet as she posted one of the best efforts of her career with a leap of 41-07.75" (12.69m) at NCAA Mid-East Regionals. The mark was good enough for a fifth-place finish, which automatically qualified Hyman for her first NCAA Championships, in what could have been the final collegiate meet of her career.

"Reaching NCAA Championships has been our goal for Lisa for the past couple years," said Coach Kevin Robinson. She has just missed it before, but she stepped up this year when she needed to the most and made it to Sacramento."

Hyman's journey to the NCAA meet will also mark the first time ever that the Lady Tigers have had athletes qualify for both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, and is the first time since 1983 that the U of M has sent athletes, men or women, to both championship meets. Earlier this year, Gail Lee became the first member of this tandem when she qualified for NCAA Indoor Championships in the shot put.

"This has been a great year for both Gail and Lisa and our women's program," said Robinson. "The past few years we have had a lot of success on the men's side, but this year it was the two women who were the most dominant."

The trip to NCAA Championships will top off an amazing career for Hyman, who is a standout off the track as well. The two-time ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First-Team member has received both her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in mathematical sciences in just five years, is a three-time recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Medal of Honor and is involved in numerous campus and community service activities.

"There is no one that could be more deserving of this than Lisa," said Robinson. "Not only is she a great athlete and a great student, she is the kind of person you want your children to be when they grow up."

Tiger long jumper, Brandon Winbush, who had also qualified for the NCAA Championships, will be unable to participate in the meet due to a personal issue that will not allow him to make the trip to Sacramento. He too, however, posted an incredible season, improving his personal best by nearly one and one-half feet on his way to a fifth-place finish at Regionals. The sophomore will return next season looking to repeat his performances from this year.

As mentioned previously, Hyman will begin her NCAA Championships with the qualifying rounds of the triple jump at 7:30 pm PST on Friday night. Finals in the event are slated for 6:30 pm PST on Saturday evening.

Results and recaps for each round of the women's triple jump will be posted at www.gotigersgo.com, while live results can be followed at the Sacramento State University website, www.hornetsports.com.