Butts Captures Third Career All-America Honor

BOISE, Idaho March 10, 2012 – Junior jumps specialist Tynita Butts earned her third career All-America honor early Saturday morning, finishing seventh in the high jump at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships in Boise, Idaho.

She produced a mark of 1.81 meters at the Jacksons Indoor Track and tied for third-highest jump but ended up seventh due to taking all three attempts to clear the height.

Butts has garnered All-America status each season of her collegiate career, beginning with a seventh-place result at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships and following that performance with a fourth-places showing at the 2011 outdoor national meet. She is the first three-time All-America in program history.

The Alexandria, Va., native capped off her indoor campaign after winning the Conference USA high jump title in Birmingham two weeks ago, resulting in her selection as the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Southeast Region Female Field Athlete of the Year. Her effort in the league meet helped East Carolina capture its first-ever C-USA Indoor Championship by downing defending champion UCF by a 123-113.5 score.

Five more Pirates will compete at the NCAA Indoor Championships late Saturday night. Senior Montrell Morrow takes aim at the weight throw title beginning at 7 p.m. while the ladies 4×400 relay event featuring Tyshonda Hawkins, Tiffany Harris, Tania Minks and sophomore All-America Aiesha Goggins is slated to start at 11:40.