Penn State high jumper Holly Jones stepped up to her mark. She put her toe on the tape and looked from it to the bar. She looked down again.

Slowly, her head rose as she followed with her eyes the path that her feet would soon take. She visualized it perfectly.

She leaned back, ran a few approach steps and exploded off the ground. As Jones sailed over the bar, Lady Lion Track Coach Teri Jordan pumped her fist in the air.

Jones barely touched the landing mat. She came down from the jump and sprung to her feet, into the waiting congratulations of fans and her coach. She took her jumping to a new level against Georgetown last Saturday, provisionally qualifying for the NCAA Championships on March 10-11 in Indianapolis.

Although provisional qualification is not a sure ticket to nationals, doing it at the first meet of the indoor track season leaves plenty of time for improvement.

Jones' qualifying height of 5 feet, 9-and-a-quarter inches is the minimum for NCAA consideration. If that height -- or a better jump by Jones -- falls within the top 12 in the nation, she will go to nationals.

Jones can also automatically qualify if she jumps 6 feet, 1-and-a-quarter inches. Only two or three jumpers in the country reach the automatic mark annually.

Jones was happy with her jump. But she said she will not be satisfied until her qualification is guaranteed.

"That says something, but it doesn't say enough," she said.

Jordan said she felt the jump was the absolute highlight of the meet, topping even the 77-45 Lady Lion advantage. She is also very confident about Penn State's first national qualifier of the season, even though she does not know if Jones has hit the height that will secure her a place at NCAAs.

"I think she just came in with the determination to qualify for nationals," Jordan said. "I think it will take at least one more height. I have no doubt she's going to hit higher."

Jones' determination did not always drive her to victory in track and field. "I started track just because my friends did it in junior high," she said. "I hated it."

In ninth grade, she decided that instead of attending a practice she dreaded -- she would do anything to skip mandatory laps -- she would try out for the softball team.

But the high school track coach changed Jones' mind when he pulled her from the junior high squad and placed her on the varsity team.

Now, Jones' goals include achievements instead of avoidance. Always pushing, Jordan set the bar for Jones immediately after her qualifying jump -- the height was 5 feet, 10-and-a-half inches.

But Jones had already peaked for the day. She came down hard on the bar twice. On her third attempt she was nearly perfect, but her head was a degree out of place and the final steps of her approach were a bit too slow. She just grazed the bar, but it was enough to make it fall.

Jones looked up from her landing to see her coach on the ground. Jordan was prepared for Jones to clear the height, celebrating prematurely. But her excitement changed to disappointment and she fell to the ground.

Jordan stood up with a smile to congratulate her provisional national qualifier. Jones has plenty of time to prove herself and is off to an early start.