Freshman High Jumper to Represent UMass Boston at National NCAA Meet

Carl Joseph Ranked Fifth in the Country

High jumper Carl Joseph, a freshman at the University of Massachusetts Boston and a Brockton resident, will represent the university Friday at the 2012 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Claremont, California.

Currently Joseph is ranked fifth in the country with a qualifying height of 6-10.25 feet.

“To be able to represent UMass Boston in this meet is a great honor for me, and to do it as a freshman makes it that much more special. It is such a surreal feeling. I was on the track team in high school, and I did outdoor track for one season my senior year as a way to keep myself busy and in shape but I did not think at this point I would be ranked fifth in the country,” Joseph says.

Joseph, who has not declared a major but is interested in criminal justice, has racked up quite the accomplishments this season. A two-sport athlete (he was named a Little East Conference All-Rookie Team selection with the Beacons basketball team), he earned a conference best six Rookie Field Athlete of the Week honors and six first place finishes, including a win in his first meet as a Beacon on March 24.

“The coaching staff has played an important role in my achievements. My jumping coach, Coach Daniel Hutcherson, has done a great job in taking the raw jumping ability I have as basketball player and transforming that into a high jump track athlete, and Coach [Consandria] Walker, our head coach, has done a great job with this UMass Track and Field program. Not only have my track coaches helped me out, but my basketball coaches have also. I have received a significant amount of support from Coach Charlie Titus and Coach Tyler Papadinis,” Joseph says.

Head Coach Consandria Walker is in her second year with the track and field program.

“I am very proud that I have someone this early in my career to represent the university at nationals. We had no doubts he could be where he is right now. We knew he had a lot of potential coming in [to the program],” Walker says.

Joseph says next season he will continue to work to improve as an athlete. For now, he’s ready to head west.

“I just love to compete and I’m going to Cali to compete against 20 of the top high jumpers in this country. I’m just excited to get out there and have fun, and just show ‘em what I’ve got,” Joseph says.

About UMass Boston
With a growing reputation for innovative research addressing complex urban issues, the University of Massachusetts Boston, metropolitan Boston’s only public university, offers its diverse student population both an intimate learning environment and the rich experience of a great American city. UMass Boston’s eight colleges and graduate schools serve nearly 16,000 students while engaging local, national, and international constituents through academic programs, research centers, and public service activities. To learn more about UMass Boston, visit www.umb.edu.