When the Notre Dame track and field team tallied its points at the end of every meet, it knew it could count on a top-two finish from high jumper Jen Engelhardt.

All season long, Engelhardt appeared at or near the top of the podium for her exceptional jumps. Now, just weeks away from the NCAA Track and Field Outdoors Championships, Engelhardt is on a quest for her third All-American performance, more than any other female track runner in Notre Dame history. She qualified for the meet with a 6-foot leap at the Billy Hayes Invitational last Saturday.

"All-American status is great," Engelhardt said earlier in the year, "And I'd love to be blessed with that again. Becoming All-American and then continuing to do it junior year [is my greatest success]. That was really rewarding and something I never expected."

Engelhardt placed ninth at the NCAA Indoors Championships a year ago, and 12th her freshman season. This season, she hopes to break into the top eight.

Engelhardt steered the Irish to third place at the Big East Outdoors Championships this season, matching their highest finish since joining the league. She placed second in the high jump in both the Big East Indoors and Outdoors Championships.

The Battle Creek, Mich., native leads her team not only with top-notch performances but a positive attitude. The senior was selected as a team captain for her hard work ethic, on-field accomplishments and academic excellence as a biology and education double major.

"She'll do anything you ask her," field events coach Scott Winsor said midway through the season. "She's very conscientious. She works hard, and I think she puts in as much time as she's physically capable of. She's a pleasure to work with."

Engelhardt is the only female Domer ever to clear the six-foot barrier. She did so with a 6 3/4 foot jump at the Mt. SAC Relays last fall, and repeated the accomplishment last weekend.

With only one meet left to run in a Notre Dame uniform, Engelhardt is moving on but not giving up track and field. She holds out hopes of qualifying for the Olympics in her post-Blue and Gold days.

"The Olympic Trials are right over the horizon," Engelhardt said. "That would be my ultimate goal. It's like the next step up. I think it [jumping] is something I'm not going to be able to put down."

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