Sophomore Christina Fenske has been named Big South Women's Track Athlete of the Week for her record-breaking performance at the N.C. A&T Aggie Classic on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. Fenske cleared 1.78 meters (5-10) in the high jump to break the HPU record and qualify for the first round of the NCAA Championship.

"We've been seeing some really good pieces coming together all year, whether it was good take-offs or good clearances, but we struggled to put it all together," said HPU assistant coach Eric Dudley. "The last three weeks in practice we could see she was jumping differently and clearing bars that she struggled with in the past. We were both worried that she would run out of opportunities to have this performance, but it all came together on Sunday. She had a few good attempts at 1.80 meters as well. Christina is becoming a real student of the event, and I think that has helped a lot as well."

Fenske's previous HPU record was 1.75 meters (5-7), which she cleared on multiple occasions. She was Big South outdoor champ in the high jump as a freshman in 2009. In the Big South Indoor Championships in 2009 and 2010 and the Big South Outdoor Championship in 2010, Fenske finished second in the high jump.

With her performance on Sunday, Fenske is ranked 20th in the East and 37th in the nation in the high jump. She will compete in the first round of the NCAA Championship, which will also be held at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. After a weekend off, the meet will take place at Irwin Belk Track May 27-29.

Along with Fenske, sophomore Manika Gamble will compete in the 400-meter hurdles at the first round of the NCAA Championship. Gamble is ranked 20th in the East with her season-best time of 58.56. The high jump is scheduled for Thursday, May 27 at 5 p.m. The 400-meter hurdles first round is Thursday at 4 p.m. and the quarterfinals are Friday at 7:15 p.m. The top 12 finishers in each event qualify for the national championship June 9-10 in Eugene, Oregon.