Hawai'i high jumpers Amber Kaufman and Emily Sheppard placed fifth and sixth at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships yesterday in Des Moines, Iowa. Kaufman became the school's highest NCAA Outdoor finisher since Gwen Loud won long jump in 1984.

Kaufman, who also starts on the Rainbow Wahine volleyball team, cleared 6 feet (1.83 meters), behind champion Elizabeth Patterson of Arizona, who jumped 6-1.25 (1.86). Sheppard took sixth after clearing 5-10.75.

Sheppard and Kaufman, both juniors, earned All-America status with their top-eight performances and scored seven team points for the Rainbow Wahine.

Kaufman will next compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials at the end of the month. She earned the invitation after her gold-medal performance at the Western Athletic Conference Championship.

After the first four disciplines of the heptathlon, UH junior Annett Wichmann is 12th with 3,305 points. Wichmann tied for the best mark in the high jump at 5-10. She placed seventh in the shot put (40-10.5), 21st in the 100-meter hurdles (14.51), and 25th in the 200-meter dash (26.51).

The heptathlon concludes today.