Results
EUGENE, ORE. – Illinois high jumper Kandie Bloch-Jones made her Olympic Trials debut this evening at historic Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon. Bloch-Jones finished 14th in the opening round of competition, fourth among collegiate competitors, and was just two spots shy of qualifying for Sunday's event final.
"That first miss at 5'10.5" (1.79m) was the difference in going to the final," said Head Coach Ron Garner. "She came into the meet tied for 18th, so finishing 14th is a positive. However, Kandie is capable of the next level of performance. She believes that and I believe that. She was the only Big Ten high jumper here and she beat out several First Team All-Americans today."
A three-time All-American in the high jump, Bloch-Jones cleared the opening height of 5'8.5" (1.74m) on her first attempt. The Argenta, Illinois senior-to-be then successfully cleared the second bar, 5'10.5" (1.79m), on her second attempt at that height. By clearing the height, Bloch-Jones set an outdoor season-best mark, topping her 5'10" (1.78m) mark at NCAA Championships back on June 11.
"Our preparation has been the best it's ever been," exclaimed Garner. "In the weeks leading up to [Olympic Trials] and throughout all of the outdoor season, Kandie worked very hard and was much more connected with me as a coach, and I'm very appreciative of that. She's jumped six feet in practice multiple times, so I felt as good as I've ever in terms of an athlete's preparation going into a meet."
Advancing to 6'0.5" (1.84m) in the height progression, Bloch-Jones was unable to clear the bar on her three attempts, placing her in a tie for 14th overall. With only the top-12 advancing to Sunday's event final, Bloch-Jones Olympic bid was cut short.
"I want her going away from here knowing that she belongs at this level," said Garner. "She'll have to earn Big Ten wins; she'll have to earn the next level, but Kandie can be a great jumper. I'm proud because she's demonstrated that she's another person on our team that can play at the national level."
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Women's Track & Field, visit FIGHTINGILLINI.COM and follow @IlliniWTrack on Twitter.
Watch Bloch-Jones' Two Jumps
Career Highlights
- Three-time All-American
- Placed 14th at 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials
- 2014 Big Ten Indoor High Jump Champion
- Three-time Big Ten Runner-Up
- Ranks third in Illinois history with a mark of 6'0.5" (1.84m)
- 2012 IHSA Class 1A High Jump Champion
- Four-time state-placer in the high jump
- 2013 News Gazette Athlete of the Year
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Women's Track, visit FIGHTINGILLINI.COM and follow @IlliniWTrack on Twitter.
