By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — There was plenty of pomp and circumstance that went along with competing at the NCAA Division III Track & Field Indoor National Championships Saturday afternoon, but for Saint Mary's University of Minnesota's Becca Dup, it was all business.
 
Business as usual.
 
Dup, coming off a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship in the triple jump, thanks to a school record-tying and NCAA-qualifying leap of 11.74 meters, narrowly missed that record-setting mark—and All-American honors—in placing ninth overall.
 
After opening with an 11.56-meter effort in jump No. 1, Dup put together her best leap of the afternoon in her second leap, posting an 11.67m leap. She then went 11.44m, 11.63m, 11.46m, and 11.66m in her final four leaps en route to her ninth-place showing.
 
"We came into this championships really wanted to get into the top eight—and that All-American status—but I have to keep telling myself that ninth in the nation is something to be proud of," said Dup, who was making her second NCAA national championships appearance, having placed 17^th in the outdoor national championships last season. "I had a little better idea of what to expect this time around—having had the experience of last year's outdoor national championships, but I was also probably 10 times more nervous for that same reason, because I knew that our goals were much higher this time around.
 
"I gave it my best shot, and I'm happy with what I accomplished—but there's also still more room for improvement, and that's what's going to drive me for the outdoor season."
 
Amber Edwards of Rampo won the event with a jump of 12.52 meters, followed by Sally Ceesay of Bates (12.29m), Alycia Atwell-Chwarz of Nazareth (11.89m), and Evelyn Nkanga of New York University (11.84m).
 
"Becca had a great day," said Saint Mary's coach Niels Anderson. "She had All-American jumps, but just had some problems find the board.
 
"The great news is, she moved up from her seed (12^th), and she will take this experience to movtivate her for the outdoor season."