High Jumpers Siilats, Gyorffy Take on Nation, World Today

While the women's track team's indoor season may have concluded last week, the season has not yet ended for senior Dora Gyorffy and sophomore Kart Siilats.

Gyorffy, having cleared the 1.96-meter bar in mid-February, has qualified for the International Amateur Athletic Federation World Championships in Lisbon this weekend, while Siilats will be competing at the NCAA championships in Arkansas.

Gyorffy, who hails from Hungary, is one of the most decorated athletes in Crimson history. Last year, she tied the NCAA indoor high jump record with a 1.97-meter leap at Heps and went on to win the NCAA indoor title. This current season got off to a late start as she took the first semester off to compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she cleared the 1.89-meter bar but could not get past the 1.92-meter mark in her three attempts.

Since returning to Harvard, she has been consistently the 1.90-meter mark. As a result of her recent 1.96-meter leap, she decided not to defend her NCAA title from last year and instead compete in the world championships.

This will be Gyorffy's second appearance at the World Championships. She had a highest jump of 1.80 meters in 1997 when the competition was held in Paris.

Only four of the thirteen women competing in today's competition have cleared higher marks than Gyorffy this year, placing her in the top of the pack for this meet. Her season-best is just three centimeters short of the best indoor jump in the world this year.

The competition will begin at 4:20 p.m., Lisbon time. Gyorffy's toughest competition from the United States will be Amy Acuff, whose personal best of 2.00 meters slighlty overshadows Gyorffy. In competitions this year the two athletes have been very evenly matched. Their season-best jumps are both 1.96 meters. At the Olympics, Gyorffy did overpower Acuff by nine centimeters, as Acuff only cleared the 1.80-meter bar.

Kajsa Bergqvist, who won a bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics with a jump of 1.99-meters, is also among the favorites.

At NCAAs, Siilats will be aiming to make up for Gyorffy's absence. Siilats started off her Harvard career with a 1.84-meter jump against Boston College in December--good enough for fifth on the NCAA performance lists. Siilats was an Estonian national champion before transferring to Harvard this year. Since that first Crimson meet, Siilats has come close to matching that season-best height, clearing the 1.83 bar at HYPs and the 1.78 bar at the Millrose Games.

Her season best jump is only two centimeters short of the season-best among her competitors. Second ranked Mary Varga of the University of Akron's best is 1.86 meters. Siilats attempt to keep the NCAA title at Harvard will begin today at 2:00 p.m., central time.