INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Saint Martin's University track & field athlete Laura Tesch has qualified for the 2013 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships in the high jump as announced today by the NCAA.

Tesch, a senior high jumper from Renton, Wash., is the first female at SMU to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships since the universty became a member of NCAA Division II during the 1998-99 athletic season. This is the Saints first national qualifier since 2011 and their first indoor qualifier since 2006.

Along with that distinction she joins an elite list of female athletes becoming just the third female to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Jillian Stray and Sam Hull both competed in the javelin at the outdoor championships in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Tesch is just the third athlete to qualify for the indoor championship for SMU as Andy Prentice and Nate Carlson both did so during their careers. She will also become the sixth athlete in the history of Saint Martin's track & field to compete at the NCAA Championships.

She enters the meet ranked 18th in the event having cleared 5'-6.5" earlier this season establishing a new school record. having earned both USTFCCCA all-region and All-GNAC honors. She would become just the fourth track & field athlete to earn All-American honors with a top-eight finish in Birmingham next week.

The NCAA Championships will take place over three days, March 7-9, at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama. Tesch officially competes on the final day, Saturday, March 9th beginning at 2:00 pm. The NCAA wil have a video stream and live results. Those links will be posted when available.

Check out the feature piece from Kyle's Korner on Tesch, CLICK HERE.