RELEASED: May 28, 2009

DANVILLE, KY—Sophomore Chrys Jones of Harrodsburg, Ky., earned the triple jump national title at the 2009 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships held at Marietta College on May 23. His record-setting jump measured 50 feet, 3 ¼ inches, making him the first male SCAC student-athlete since 1986 to win an outdoor track and field national title, and the first ever for Centre College. Jones also set a new record for Marietta College's Don Drumm Stadium.

"It feels great. After I had a bad meet at the indoor nationals, I told coach (Lisa Owens) that I'd get a national championship and get 50 feet," says Jones, who missed most of the last season with a torn hamstring. "I worked all year and it all came together at the right time."

"Seeing Chrys fight back and win a national title only a year after suffering such a terrible hamstring tear left me speechless," said head track and field coach Lisa Owens. "His performance at the national championships was great—the most consistent I've ever seen him in competition."

During his freshman year, Jones was one of six journalists for the year-long My CENTRE Life series. To see his entries and photos, click here.

Centre freshman Emily Niehaus of Maineville, Ohio earned All-American honors as well, finishing eighth in the hammer throw. The first-year student was seeded 11th coming in, but had a toss of 164 feet, 2 inches to place eighth.

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.