Call her Superwoman, because Marquette high jumper Erynn James can leap over basketball players in a single bound.

"She can jump over Dominic James," Marquette senior long jumper Shawn McLarney said.

James, a junior this season, is flying higher than ever. Returning from injury problems that have set her back since last April, James is peaking at the right time. Tall and graceful, she has a laugh and a personality that is contagious.

James' current personal record, set a few weeks ago at the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame, is 1.75 meters, or just over 5-9. While she still has an inch or two to go before she can leap over the Marquette senior guard, she is driven to succeed. And as a fierce competitor, her ambitions are lofty.

"My goal is to get up to six feet," James said. "In fact, it's my minimum goal. My maximum goal? Whatever I can jump."

Currently second on Marquette's all-time high jump list, she trails Chris Spindler's 1993 record jump of 5-9 1/4 by the smallest of margins.

"I want to break the school record this year," she said. "I almost had it at a couple of meets, so I'm right there."

Breaking records is a lot easier said than done. James is coming off a rough performance in the Big East Championships, jumping below her personal best. She finished ninth in the competition.

"I was really disappointed with myself," she said. "I was expecting to jump higher."

Success in the high jump means putting in a lot of hard work and concentrating tirelessly on preparation and form. But it's something coach Bert Rogers said he thinks James can achieve.

"I think Erynn can be a six-foot high jumper," Rogers said. "She's always wanting to improve and do better. She listens very well; she'll take what you tell her and do it."

A graduate of Brookfield East High School in Brookfield, Wis., James is a back-to-back state champion in the high jump. Her 5-7 jump is a school record.

But James means so much more to her team than just her jumping. Her bright, cheery nature has an effect on everyone. Receiving scholarship offers out of high school from several Division I universities like Louisiana State, James said she chose Marquette because of the connection with her teammates.

"She's really hard working and always positive," senior pole vaulter Carrie Schmid said. "Even if you had a bad day, she's always there for you and smiling."

While James is committed to her jumping, she has other passions as well. A journalism major, she recently discovered her other infatuation: photography.

"If I jump high enough I would look into doing high jump after college," she said. "But if my body can't handle it, I'd be a photographer. I really love it."

James often brings her camera to meets, taking pictures of teammates. Some of her photography has even been put in official team releases.

And whether James ends up on the U.S. Olympic Team, or taking photos for a major magazine, one thing is certain — she'll be smiling the whole way.