Track & Field 100-Years of History: High Jumpers

MILWAUKEE - In celebration of the program's 100th year, the Marquette track & field program would like to recognize some of the top student-athletes who have represented the university across all of the disciplines.

These competitors are among the best to ever wear the Blue & Gold and the current coaching staff selected the individuals highlighted based on a number of factors, including performance in competition and impact on the program. The program's centennial provides the opportunity to not only reflect on the previous 100-years, but to also thank each of the thousands of student-athletes who have competed.

Sprinters: June 6, 2023

Women
Erynn James (2007-2010): James is one of the top jumpers in Marquette's history, holding the school records in both indoor and outdoor high jump. James set the indoor school record at UW-Milwaukee in 2010 with a mark of 1.78 meters /5 feet, 10 inches. In the same year, she set the outdoor school record at Cerritos College with a mark of 1.80 meters/5 feet, 10.75 inches. She earned All-BIG EAST honors in 2009 with a second-place finish at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships. James was a three-time NCAA Regional qualifier. Her best regional finish came her junior season in 2009 when she finished ninth with a mark of 1.74 meters/5 feet, 8.5 inches to just miss nationals.

Claire Look (1985-1988): A multi-event athlete, Look was a three-time national qualifier and the first Marquette woman to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon in 1988. She went on to finish ninth at the NCAA Championships. She also competed at the 1985 NAIA National Championships in the high jump, long jump, one-mile relay and two-mile relay indoors and heptathlon. Look broke the school record in the outdoor high jump with a height of 1.75 meters/5 feet, 8.75 inches at Southeast Missouri State in 1988. She left MU with 13 individual school records and five relay team records. Look still holds the school record in the pentathlon with a score of 3783 points and ranks in the top-10 in several other events: outdoor high jump (fourth), long jump (fifth), Javelin (fourth, before 1999), heptathlon (third), 800m SMR (third, fourth, and sixth), indoor long jump (seventh), 1000m (fifth) and 4x200 relay (ninth). She was a two-time team captain and four-time team MVP. She was the recipient of the McCahill Award in 1988. Look was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 1999.

Sarah MacCourtney (2009-2013): A former team captain, MacCourtney left Marquette ranked in the top five in both the indoor and outdoor high jump. She graduated from MU with the No. 4 indoor mark with a jump of 1.73 meters/5 feet, 8 inches and the No. 4 outdoor mark with a clearance of 1.75 meters/5 feet, 8.75 inches. Her outdoor mark still stands at No. 4 and her indoor mark is tied for seventh all-time. She was an NCAA West Regional qualifier in her senior year in 2013. She took 15th in the regional at the University of Texas with a mark of 1.70 meters/5 feet, 7 inches. She earned the team's most improved student-athlete awards in 2013.

Marin McClowry (2017-2021): McClowry was a three-time All-BIG EAST honoree in the high jump. McClowry made an immediate impact on the program in her freshman season, winning the high jump at the 2018 BIG EAST Indoor Championships with a mark of 1.70 meters/5 feet, 7 inches. McClowry jumped a personal best indoor mark of 1.73 meters/5 feet, 8 inches at UW-Milwaukee, good for seventh on the all-time performance list. She cleared the same height during the outdoor season for a personal best and the No. 6 mark on the all-time outdoor performance list. She earned the team's Most Outstanding Freshman Award in 2018.

Lindsey Mirkes (2018-2021): A team captain, Mirkes was a seven-time All-BIG EAST selection and two-time conference champion. Mirkes earned All-BIG EAST honors in all four years of outdoor competition and three of four years in indoor. She won her first conference title at the 2020 BIG EAST Indoor Championships. She earned her second title at the 2021 outdoor championships, tying the school record with a mark of 1.80 meters/5 feet, 10.75 inches. Mirkes made three NCAA West Regional appearances, qualifying in 2019, 2021 and 2022. She finished 19th in both 2021 and 2022, her best mark came in 2021 with a clearance of 1.77 meters/5 feet, 9.75 inches. Mirkes was a two-time recipient of the team's MVP Award and earned the Student-Athlete Award in 2022.

Tatyana Pashibin (2012-2016): A multi-event athlete, Pashibin was a six-time All-BIG EAST selection, earning the honor three times in the high jump. She won the BIG EAST Outdoor Championship in the high jump in 2015 with a mark of 1.70 meters/5 feet, 7 inches. Pashibin claimed two other BIG EAST Titles, winning the pentathlon (3,143 points) and heptathlon (4,083 points) in 2014. She set the freshmen indoor high jump record in 2012 at the BIG EAST Championships with a mark of 1.75 meters/5 feet, 8.75 inches, No. 4 all-time at MU. Her personal best outdoor mark of 1.71 meters/5 feet, 7.25 inches currently sits tied for ninth all-time. When she left Marquette, she held top-10 marks in the indoor long jump (seventh), pentathlon (third), outdoor triple jump (ninth) and javelin (ninth). She still sits seventh on the all-time performance list. Pashibin was a two-time team captain. She was the recipient of the McCahill Award in 2016.

Christine Spindler (1990-1993): Like Look, Spindler was a very successful multi-event athlete at Marquette. Spindler was a 13-time conference champion with five coming in the high jump, three indoor and two outdoor. Her other conference titles came in the 55 hurdles (four times), 100 hurdles, triple jump and heptathlon (twice). She was named Most Outstanding Performer at the 1993 Great Midwest Indoor Championships with first-place finishes in the 55m hurdles, high jump and long jump. Her time of 8.27 in the 55m hurdles was a conference and school record, and her height of 1.65 meters/5 feet, 5 inches in the high jump was a conference record as well. Spindler broke Look's record in the outdoor high jump in 1993 with a clearance of 1.76 meters/5 feet, 9.25 inches. Spindler also left MU as the record holder in the indoor long jump (5.79 m/19 feet), high jump (1.76 m/5 feet, 9.25 inches), 55m hurdles, 200m hurdles (29.75), 100-meter hurdles (14.25) and heptathlon (5321). She was named team MVP three times (1991-1993) and earned the team's Freshman of the Year award in 1990. Spindler received the McCahill Award in 1993.

Omo Tseumah (2014-2017): Tseumah earned All-BIG EAST honors in both the indoor and outdoor high jump all four years as a Golden Eagle. She claimed four BIG EAST high jump titles, winning three indoor and one outdoor. Tsuemah holds the Marquette high jump Freshmen records in indoor with a mark of 1.75 meters/5 feet, 8.75 inches and outdoor with a jump of 1.73 meters/5 feet, 8 inches. Her indoor mark ranks No. 4 all-time and her outdoor jump is No. 6 in program history. She earned the team's Most Outstanding Freshmen Award in 2014.

Men
Daniel Armstrong (2017-2020): Armstrong was a two-time NCAA Indoor All-American in the high jump in 2018 and 2019. He placed 15th (2.10 m/6-10.75 ft.) at nationals in 2018 and 14th in 2019 (2.15 m/7-0.5 ft). Armstrong was a three-time NCAA West Regional qualifier (2017-2019), recording his best finish in 2018 when he took 20th with a jump of 2.11 meters/6 feet, 11 inches. Armstrong captured six BIG EAST titles, winning the indoor title four straight years along with two outdoor championships. At the 2018 BIG EAST Indoor Championships he was named Most Outstanding Performer in Field Events. The Michigan City, Indianapolis native holds the No. 2 high jump marks in program history in both indoor (2.22 m/7-3.25 ft) and outdoor (2.17 m/7-1.5 ft). He received the team's Melvin "Bus" Shimek Most Valuable Award three times and earned the Most Outstanding Freshman Award in 2017.

Raymond Bratchett (2005-2008): Bratchett left his mark on the Marquette in not only the high jump but also sprints and relays. Bratchett earned All-BIG EAST honors at the 2006 BIG EAST Indoor Championships with a second-place finish in the high jump with a, at the time, school record of 2.14 meters/7 feet, 0.25 inches. Bratchett also broke the freshman indoor record that season with a height of 2.10 meters/6 feet, 10.5 inches. He holds the No. 7 outdoor mark with a height of 2.05 meters/6 feet, 8.75 inches. Bratchett also holds the No. 10 mark in the indoor 200m (22.22), the No. 8 indoor 4x400 time (3:17.47), the fifth fastest 4x100 time (41.57), and the No. 2 and No. 3 4x400 outdoor times of 3:12.85 and 3:13.79. When Bratchett left MU he was also ninth in the 400m hurdles and 10th in both the 110m and 60m hurdles. The Milwaukee native placed eighth in the high jump at the 2005 US Junior Championships. He was a two-time team captain.

Cheldon Brown (2010-2013): Brown was a multiple-time BIG EAST Conference placer during his time as a Golden Eagles. The Springfield, IL native finished his career ranked third in the outdoor High Jump with a mark of 2.10 meters/6 feet, 10.75 inches and fourth in the indoor High Jump 2.07 meters/6 feet, 9.5 inches on the MU all-time performance list. His outdoor mark currently ranks fifth all-time and his indoor mark is ninth. Brown was named a team captain his senior season.

Edward Burke (1936-1939): Burke was a two-time AAU All-American in the indoor high jump in 1936 and 1937. He set the indoor world high jump record at the 1937 meet at Madison Square Garden in New York City with a height of 2.06 meters/6 feet, 9.25 inches. Burke earned four conference titles during his time at Marquette, claiming one indoor and three outdoor championships. He was a three-time outdoor national qualifier from 1937-1939. In 1939, Burke earned All-American honors with a third-place finish at the University of Minnesota with a height of 2.01 meters/6 feet, 7.25 inches.

Pat Dauphin (1989-1993): A four-time All-Conference performer, Dauphin won the 1993 Great Midwest Conference Outdoor Championship with a school and conference record of 2.16 meters/7 feet, 1 inch. Dauphin was the first MU high jumper to break the 7-foot threshold. Dauphin held the school record until 2015 when it was broken by Wally Ellenson. His mark is still No. 3 all-time at MU and has the No. 5 indoor mark with a height of 2.10 meters/6 feet, 10.75 inches, a school record at the time. He earned the team's John Vishnevsky Most Improved Award in 1992. In 1993, he was named team captain and finished runner-up for the team's Conrad Jennings MVP Award.

Wally Ellenson (2015-2016): Ellenson was a two-time All-American, earning honors in both indoor and outdoor. Ellenson earned the bronze medal at the NCAA Indoor Championships in 2015 and finished fifth at the outdoor championships that same year. The Rice Lake, Wisconsin native is a three-time BIG EAST Champion, winning the indoor title in 2015 and outdoor championships in 2015 and 2016. Ellenson set the BIG EAST Championship meet record with a mark of 7 feet, 3.25 inches in 2015 at the Armory in NYC. Ellenson set the indoor school record of 7 feet, 5.75 inches at UW-Madison in 2015. He then set the outdoor school record of 7 feet, 2.5 inches at the 2015 NCAA West Preliminaries in Austin, Texas. He placed 12th at the 2015 US Outdoor Championships. He received the team's MVP Award in 2015.

Shawn Nielsen (1995-1999): Nielsen captured four individual conference titles during his tenure at Marquette. Nielsen won three titles during his freshmen season. Winning the Great Midwest Conference indoor high jump and the outdoor high jump and long jump titles at the outdoor championships. His mark of 7.32 meters/24 feet, 0.25 inches in the long jump was a freshman and facility record at the Shimek Memorial Track & Field Facility at Marquette. He went on to win a fourth title at the 1996 Central Collegiate Conference Outdoor Championships in the high jump. Nielsen holds five marks on the all-time MU performance list. His freshman long jump mark currently ranks sixth all-time, his indoor (2.13 m/6-11.75 ft.) and outdoor (2.13 m/6-11.75 ft.) high jump marks rank fourth and he has the No. 8 javelin mark (54.64 m/179-3 ft.) at MU.

Thomas O'Malley (1950-1954): O'Malley was a conference champion at Marquette Stadium in 1954 with a mark of 6 feet, 4 inches. He went on to compete at nationals at the University of Michigan. O'Malley took 12th with a mark of 1.88 meters/6 feet, 2 inches. O'Malley was part of a group of jumpers, including Olympian John Bennett, that dominated jumping events for MU in 1953-54. He won the high jump in several dual meets during his time at MU. O'Malley scored points for Marquette en route to the team winning the 1953 Outdoor Central Collegiate Conference Championship and would go on to be considered one of the top teams in program history.

Michael Saindon (2011-2014): Saindon was a BIG EAST champion at the 2014 outdoor championships with a mark of 2.08 meters/6 feet, 9.75 inches. The Wausau, WI native finished his career ranked fourth in the outdoor High Jump with a mark of 2.08 meters/6 feet, 9.75 inches and fifth in the indoor High Jump, clearing a height of 2.08 meters/6 feet, 9.75 inches. He still currently ranks sixth in the outdoor high jump and eighth in indoor on the all-time performance list. Saindon earned the team's Stan Lowe Student-Athlete Award and was named team captain in 2014.

Ken Wiesner (1942-1946): A three-time All-American, Wiesner claimed three NCAA titles in the outdoor high jump in 1944, 1945 and 1946. Wiesner also claimed the 1945 AAU indoor crown He won three conference championships, one indoor title and two outdoor. He still holds the No. 10 mark on the all-time outdoor performance list with a mark of 2.04 meters/6 feet, 8.5 inches. Wiesner continued to represent Marquette on the international stage, competing in Helsinki, Finland at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He took home the silver for the United States. Wiesner was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 1974.

Duane Windau (1929-1932): Windau competed in the very early years of Marquette track & field and was a three-time NCAA Outdoor Championship qualifier, competing in 1930, 1931 and 1932. He placed seventh in 1930 at Chicago Stagg Field with a mark of 6 feet, 2 inches. In 1932, he finished in a tie for sixth with a clearance of 1.88 meters/6 feet, 3 inches at Chicago Stagg Field. His results and marks from 1931 are unknown. Windau was a point scorer for the Marquette team that won the 1932 Central Collegiate Conference Outdoor Championship.

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