Las Vegas’ Vashti Cunningham qualifies for Olympic finals in high jump

Las Vegan Vashti Cunningham will get a chance to compete for a medal in the high jump event at the Olympics.

Cunningham, the daughter of former UNLV standout quarterback Randall Cunningham, qualified for the finals Thursday after clearing 1.94 meters (6 feet, 4¼ inches) at Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The Bishop Gorman graduate was one of 17 competitors to jump that high.

Cunningham’s American teammates Chaunte Lowe and Inika McPherson also advanced to Saturday’s final.

“It was not my best time competing but I made it through,” Cunningham said. “I will be able to hopefully do better the next time.”

The 18-year-old Cunningham burst onto the scene in March when she turned in a record-breaking, world-leading performance at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships in Portland, Oregon. Cunningham’s winning indoor clearance of 6 feet, 6¼ inches (1.99 meters) would have placed fifth at the 2012 Olympics, and it took down several records such as the world junior indoor, the U.S. junior and her own national high school record.

Randall Cunningham, who played in the NFL for the Eagles and Vikings, has been by Vashti’s side for support and as a coach.

“Stay focus on what I’m doing and to not get sidetrack on what I’m doing, while I’m waiting for my competition day,” said Vashti on the advice given to her from her father at the Olympics. “It’s a lot of help. Even out there today, I was mentally struggling but he was telling me, ‘Oh, I’ve been here, you can do this,’ and pushing me through.”

Vashti Cunningham decided to skip college in late March and took second at the U.S. Track & Field Trials in July.

Besides receiving guidance from her father, Vashti said Lowe has been a good mentor during the Olympics. Cunningham is the youngest female American track athlete to make the Olympics since Monique Henderson in 2000.

“She is a good mentor for me,” Cunningham said. “I’ve watched her growing up and I still watch her now. She is someone to watch out of the corner of your eye and keep track of her. She is amazing and we’ve a close relationship.”

Lowe, 32, has competed in the last four Olympics.

GROUP A

1. Chaunte Lowe, United States, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

2. Levern Spencer, St. Lucia, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

3. Mirela Demireva, Bulgaria, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

4. Iryna Gerashchenko, Ukraine, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

5. Vashti Cunningham, United States, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

6. Morgan Lake, Britain, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

7. Desiree Rossit, Italy, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

8. Michaela Hruba, Czech Republic, (1.92), 6-3 1-4.

9. Yuliia Levchenko, Ukraine, (1.92), 6-3 1-4.

10. Nadiya Dusanova, Uzbekistan, (1.92), 6-3 1-4.

11. Eleanor Patterson, Australia, (1.89), 6-2 1-4.

12. Ana Simic, Croatia, (1.89), 6-2 1-4.

13. Doreen Amata, Nigeria, (1.89), 6-2 1-4.

14. Priscilla Frederick, Antigua and Barbuda, (1.89), 6-2 1-4.

15. Erika Kinsey, Sweden, (1.85), 6-0 1-2.

16. Akela Jones, Barbados, (1.85), 6-0 1-2.

17. Leontia Kallenou, Cyprus, (1.80), 5-10 1-2.

18. Valentina Liashenko, Georgia, (1.80), 5-10 1-2.

GROUP B

1. Ruth Beitia, Spain, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

2. Inika McPherson, United States, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

3. Svetlana Radzivil, Uzbekistan, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

4. Blanka Vlasic, Croatia, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

5. Sofie Skoog, Sweden, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

6. Alessia Trost, Italy, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

7. Kamila Licwinko, Poland, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

8. Airine Palsyte, Lithuania, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

9. Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch, Germany, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

10. Alyxandria Treasure, Canada, (1.94), 6-4 1-4 (Q).

11. Marusa Cernjul, Slovenia, (1.92), 6-3 1-4.

12. Oksana Okuneva, Ukraine, (1.89), 6-2 1-4.

13. Jeanelle Scheper, St. Lucia, (1.89), 6-2 1-4.

14. Linda Sandblom, Finland, (1.89), 6-2 1-4.

15. Lissa Labiche, Seychelles, (1.85), 6-0 1-2.

16. Tonje Angelsen, Norway, (1.80), 5-10 1-2.

17. Barbara Szabo, Hungary, (1.80), 5-10 1-2.

18. Nafissatou Thiam, Belgium, DNS.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.