With every event wrapped up except the long jump, all eyes were on Grace Tincher for her final act at the HCAC indoor track and field championships. Her father Brian, Franklin College assistant coach Justin Johnson, a photographer at the far end of the sand pit and a flock of others all waiting to see what the Grizzly freshman could do on her last jump.

Tincher didn't disappoint. She sailed 19 feet, 3 inches, destroying the conference record and her own school record by nearly a foot.

"If there's something on the line, then it usually pushes me to do a little bit more and not crack under pressure," she said.

There will be plenty on the line Friday when Tincher competes in the long jump at the NCAA Division III Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. The Palmyra, Indiana native is seeded seventh in the field — and just 3.25 inches behind the No. 3 seed.

Johnson is confident that Tincher can jump with the nation's best.

"She does not like to lose, and it shows in her body language and demeanor," he said. "Grace is someone who will prove you wrong to the very end, no matter the situation. She's come through time and time again, showcasing her dominance."

Though Tincher is a multi-event athlete — she was second in the high jump at HCAC indoors and is also among the conference's top sprinters — the long jump has always been her favorite. She's had a successful season in that event from the get-go, breaking the school record on her first collegiate jump and gradually increasing it as she went.

When she jumped 18 feet, 3 inches at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, placing fifth in a meet full of Division I athletes, she knew she was capable of competing against just about anybody.

That self-assurance figures to come in handy this week.

"I know once I get there, the pressure's going to be on, and I feel like I'll do a lot better than what I'm expecting to do," Tincher said. "These girls are really good, but I feel like I'm definitely up there with them."

Aside from the competition itself, Tincher is looking forward to soaking up the full meet experience over the next few days — and she's really looking forward to being able to rest and relax a little bit.

"Our practices aren't in the morning, I don't have to lift while I'm there, so I get to sleep in," she said. "All of my schoolwork, I'm going to get it done before I leave — won't have to worry about a thing."

Except, of course, the thing that she's there for.

Tincher isn't going into the NCAA meet with that "happy to be here" face on. She might be a freshman playing with house money, but she's betting it (metaphorically speaking, of course) on herself. A top-eight finish, and the first team All-America status and hardware that would come with it, are what she's aiming for.

"If she says she is going to do something, she will do it," Johnson said. "We've prepped all week and believe she is ready to perform at the highest level. She has the ability to jump 19-plus and make the podium."

"I'm going down there for a reason," Tincher added. "Might as well come back with a couple of things."