NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Heidelberg University senior Nate Davis (Dayton/Stivers) won the high jump at the Indoor Track and Field Division III National Championship. Davis won by clearing 2.14m for the first time in his career.
Davis and runner-up Trevor James of Carthage were both unable clear the bar at 2.17m. Davis claimed the title because he cleared 2.14m on his second attempt, while James took three tries.
"Nate jumped the best I have ever witnessed since being at Heidelberg," said head coach Briana Hess, in her third year at Heidelberg. "He didn't let it get to his head when he missed and instead, was smart and just had fun."
The national title is just yet another accolade for Davis' career in Tiffin.
As a four-year stalwart on the post for Heidelberg basketball, Davis accumulated 226 career blocked shots, most in program history. Davis' 1,102 career points places him in 18th place in the record books at Heidelberg. An unusual 2011 dunk has garnered over 990,000 views on Youtube.
Each year, Davis has waited until the conclusion of basketball season before preparing for track. The lack of preparation has hardly hampered his results. With this year's title, Davis is now a four-time All-American in the high jump. In 2011, he finished sixth at the outdoor championships. In 2012, he finished second at the indoor championship and seventh at outdoors.
With the crown, Davis becomes the fifth student-athlete at Heidelberg to claim an individual title. In 1985, Monica Scott won the long jump title at the Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Joe Pflug won the NCAA Wrestling tournament at 157 pounds in 2006. Also in 2006, Greg Tyson won the first of two consecutive titles in long jump at the Indoor Championships. In 2008 and 2009, Judy Bataille won the 55m dash at the Indoor Championships.
"Nate got after it today," concluded Hess. "It couldn't have happened to a more deserving young man."