Sands Earns All-American Honors in the High Jump at NCAA Indoor Championships

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- Bridgewater State University senior Serenity Sands garnered All-American honors in the high jump on Saturday afternoon at the 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships held at the Virgina Beach Sports Center.

Sands placed fouth in the high jump as she broke her own school indoor record with a leap of five feet, 8.5 inches (1.74m). The East Bridgewater, Massachusetts native successfully cleared the last three heights each time on her third and final attempt.

Sands, who eclipsed her previous program mark of five feet, 7.25 inches (1.71m), tied for the top mark at the national championship meet but finished fourth due to the number of misses earlier in the competition.

Grace Ally of Loras College won the national title in the hight jump. Sarah Hoskins, also of Loras, placed second while Elizabeth Barre of Carnegie Mellon University finished third.

Ally and Hoskins converted at five feet, 8.5 inches (1.74m) on their first attempt while Barre and Sands hit the mark on their third attempt. Each of the four were unable to clear 5 feet, 9.75 inches (1.77m). Sands was the last to jump in the final round.

Sands was making her debut at the national indoor track & field championships. She also competed in the high jump last May at the DIII Outdoor Track & Field Championships as well as the 2022 outdoor championships.

Graduate student Alison McDonough (Halifax, Mass.) competed on Friday afternoon in the 60-meter hurdles as she was making her third appearance at a national championship meet and second at the indoor track & field championships.