High jump: Sarah Cowley in finals action

Rotorua high jumper Sarah Cowley finished ninth in the women's high jump final at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games this morning.

Cowley's best jump was 1.86m. She then failed three times with the bar at 1.89m. Her season best this year is 1.89m.

The gold medal went to Eleanor Patterson of Australia, who managed a season best 1.94m.

England's Isobel Pooley chose a good time for her personal best - her 1.92m winning the silver medal - while St Lucia's Levern Spencer won bronze at the same height.

Needing to clear 1.88m, or end up one of the 12 best out of two qualifying groups, Cowley was one of 10 who hit the 1.85m mark and qualified overnight on Wednesday (NZT).

"It's just great to be in the final, the job that's the last tick and now it's just like game on and anything can happen," Cowley said. "Just rest up now and go higher."

Cowley, who has a personal best of 1.91m and a season best of 1.89m, struck some trouble at 1.81m.

She needed her third attempt to continue on.

"My jumps were really good when I jumped well and those first two at 1.81m were just a little bit adjusting to the feel of my run up," she said.

"It was such a relief clearing 1.85m and it was good to get it out at the first attempt and those kind of things just strengthen my mental game."

Cowley said it was her first time in the Hampden Park stadium.

"I wanted to come and feel it and it feels great, I loved it," she added.