Following a 1.77-meter clearance on her first attempt in Wednesday’s NCAA Championship high jump preliminaries, junior Becky Christensen seized one of 16 coveted spots to compete in the finals for the event on Friday.

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, the Celina, Tex. native and four-time NCAA high jump finalist finished in a three-way tie for 12th.

Christensen made easy work of the opening height of 1.74, clearing it on her first attempt. It took her two attempts at the 1.77 mark, but then faced the 1.80-meter bar. Despite three solid attempts, she barely missed the clearance, holding her at 1.77 for a share of the 12th spot.

Elizabeth Patterson, a sophomore out of Arizona took first with a clearance of 1.86.

—Staff writer Dixon McPhillips can be reached at fmcphill@fas.harvard.edu.