Jan. 23, 2013

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Each week during the 2012-13 season a Maryland student-athlete, who has shown excellence on and off the playing field, will be selected as the Solomon Eye Associates Terp of the Week. This week's Solomon Eye Associates Terp of the Week is Amber Melville from indoor track and field.

Melville, a sophomore high jumper, has captured first place in each of Maryland's first two meets this season. She cleared 5-09.75 to defeat rival Virginia at the Terrapin Invitational last Saturday.

Amber Melville was in fifth grade at a track and field play day at her elementary school. While she ran, jumped and played around with all of the kids, something about Melville stuck out.

A recreation track and field coach was present at the event and noticed Melville and asked her to come out to a practice. From there, her successful and exciting high jump career would begin.

Melville has improved consistently as a jumper. As a sophomore this season, she placed first in the high jump in Maryland's first two meets of the season. At the season opener at Penn State, Melville cleared 5-10.50. She continued her impressive performance the next weekend at the Terrapin Invitational, clearing 5-09.75.

Growing from the promising start, Melville, a native of Westminster, Md., has high hopes of accomplishing some big things in 2013.

"My goal is to place in the ACC (Championships)," Melville said. "I'm trying to get six feet and be in the record book."

Maryland has a rich tradition of excellence in the jumping events of track and field. Since 1978, Maryland's women's track team has boasted 30 All-America accolades. Of those honored, 12 have been jumpers.

What's it like to be part of such an elite legacy? "It feels great," Melville said. "I chose Maryland because it had a really good jump program. I hope to continue the legacy."

To be part of such a legacy does not come without hours upon hours of hard work. Melville finds herself watching plenty of film when she's not actually out jumping.

"I'm watching jumpers on our team, myself, people in the past. Really focusing on what I need to do to be the best that I can be," she said.

Lucky for Melville, she finds her team at Maryland very supportive and helpful of one another. "We help each other," Melville said. "Say someone else is jumping, we help by saying, `This is what you did wrong.' Or we hint, `Maybe keep your shoulders back.' We stay motivated through practice and we keep each other going."

With two first-place honors already this season, Melville hopes to continue through the upcoming ACC meets and excel at ACC Championships this February and NCAA Championships this March. She's ready to get her name in the Maryland record books and to create a legacy of her own.