North Carolina high jumper wins Division II title 2½ years after heart attack

Isaiah Kyle won the high jump at the NCAA Division II track and field championships Friday.

Credit: WSOCTV.com

Credit: WSOCTV.com

Isaiah Kyle won the high jump at the NCAA Division II track and field championships Friday.

A few years ago, a North Carolina athlete almost died from cardiac arrest. Friday, he celebrated his biggest victory.

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Isaiah Kyle was a sophomore at Wingate University when he went into cardiac arrest during track practice in September 2016. His heart stopped for 12 minutes.

On Friday, Kyle, now a senior, competed and won the NCAA Division II national championship in the high jump at Pittsburg, Kansas. Kyle jumped 7 feet, 1¾ inches to take the title.

“It feels great, especially after everything I've been through -- just the story behind it,” Kyle said. “A lot of people doubted I'd ever get back out on the track. To just get back out there and compete was one milestone, but to get back out there and compete at a high level and go win a national championship was something special.”

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