High Jumper Gyorffy Head and Shoulders Above Rest

Harvard women's track standout Dora Gyorffy is not a sophomore when it comes to jumping.

The Leverett House resident currently holds the Harvard school records for both the high and triple jumps. Since Gyorffy's freshman debut last year, she has yet to be defeated in the Ivy League. She is a perennial NCAA national contender, finishing second this winter in the high jump after placing third last year.

The sophomore also represents her home country--Hungary--in various European championships.

However, whether it is Ivy League, national or international competition, the Hungarian's toughest competitor is herself.

Watching her in competition, you can tell that the only pressure on Gyorffy is her own. In most of the Ivy League meets, Gyorffy's competition is left at heights below 6 feet-a height that she clears with ease.

It is clear that in the Anicent Eight no one pushes her anymore, so Gyorffy must battle herself, setting her own goals in each meet. She will get angry with herself if she doesn't clear a height the first time. And after making a height, the sophomore will then challenge her own performance by clearing it by inches the next time.

Her determination and focus despite the lack of competition is clear every time she steps onto the track. Gyorffy keeps the same stern face on throughout the meet, until she has performed to her satisfaction. It is not until then that Gyorffy will give a big smile to the crowd-who regularly cheer for her throughout the meet, regardless of their school loyalty.

This season, Gyorffy continued her dominance from freshman year with performances unprecedented from an Ivy League competitor. Despite the success, however, Gyorffy believes that the winter was only the begining to what she can accomplish in the sport.

"I am quite happy with my performance this season, bit I am not satisfied," Gyorffy said. "This winter season was a good base for me to take into the spring."

And what a base it was.

The sophomore jumper repeatedly broke her own Harvard school records in the high and triple jumps. She also went undefeated throughout the season for the second consecutive year. But even those facts do not tell the whole story.

Gyorffy finished first in both the high and triple jump at the Heptagonal meet in February, attaining her personal best in both, at 6'3.5 in the high jump and 42'3 in the triple.

Gyorffy then moved onto the national scene, impressing all with another great performance. She finished second at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships March 5, with a jump of 6'2.25.

Gyorffy's accomplishments earned her Indoor All-American honors for the second consecutive year.

The season marked an improvement for her performance during the 1998 indoor and outdoor seasons, although her accomplishment as a freshman weren't too shabby either.

Last year, Gyorffy captured third in both the indoor and outdoor NCAA track & field championships in the high jump.

But since then she has repeatedly broken her own Harvard records. There is no secret to her progress, However, as Gyorffy attributes This improvement to the preseason Conditioning she did in the fall.

"I worked very hard to improve my strength in October and November," Gyorffy said. "I practiced very hard every day since then."

Amazingly enough, given her incredible success, the sophomore has jumped further and higher in practice than she ever has in competition. Gyorffy feels it's just a matter of time before she can put it all together.

"I have jumped 6'4 a few times in practice," Gyorffy said. "That's why I get so frustrated-because I know my body can do more than I have done in competition."

Gyorffy explains that at some competitions, circumstances have been out of her control. For example, she had flight trouble due to the inclement weather the night before the NCAA Championship meet earlier this month. She did not land in Indianapolis until after 10 p.m. that evening. The facility had to stay open after 11 p.m. just so that she should could get a practice in before going to bed.

The next morning, the third-seeded Gyorffy surpassed second-seeded Nicole Forrester of the University of Michigan with a jump of 6'2.2 to finish ahead of Forrester in second. First place went to Erin Aldrich of the University of Texas, who jumped 6'3.5, a height Gyorffy cleared less than two weeks earlier in the Ivy League championship meet.

One can only speculate, but had the cards fallen right for her, things might have turned out a little differently in Indiana. Gyorffy, meanwhile, remains pleased, but unsatisfied with her performance.

"Considering the circumstances, I did okay," Gyorffy said.

But circumstances aside, Gyorffy has continually performed at leverls that far exceed her Ivy League competition, and there is no reason to believe that things will change in the spring.

Gyorffy has just returned to the track this week after taking a break form training. Coach Frank Haggarty had her take a week off so she could recover from the indoor season and begin to build again for the spring.

Not surprisingly, the confident Gyorffy expects to improve this spring by leaps and bounds. She plans on starting off easy-against her easier competition-so that she can peak through June and into July, when the national and international meets occur.

"The Ivy League competition does not force me to jump my highest," said Gyorffy. "I want to be jumping my highest for the championships in June and the summer competition."

At the end of the school year, Gyorffy will likely travel to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships hoping to improve on her sensational winter performance.

She will then head home to Budapest to train for various competitions where she will be representing her country.

Two of these competitions include the Student Games and the Under-22 European Games.

"I will be satisfied when I know I am jumping my best," Gyorffy said. "I am ready for it, I have been preparing my body for achieving my best every day."

With her competitive nature and fighting spirit, it seems clear that Gyorffy will not be satisfied until she captures high jump title in premier meets-such as the NCAA championships. She will not allow anything but the best from herself.

And with her talent and determination, it seems foolish to think that Gyorffy will be denied.