Amanda Moll becomes first collegian to clear 16 feet in pole vault...
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico--The talent was always there with Washington pole vaulter Amanda Moll (Tyler Artis/UW Athletics photo) when she became the first American high schooler to clear 14 feet (4.61m) two years ago at the National Pole Vault Summit.
That was as high as she got that season, as Amanda essentially took a mental break from the event to concentrate on the sprints and hurdles for Capital HS in Olympia, while twin sister Hana, who was the reigning world under-20 champion, started an improbable roll that ended with a ninth place finish at the world championships in Budapest.
At the Don Kirby Elite meet at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Saturday, hosted by the University of New Mexico, the University of Washington sophnomore became the first woman in collegiate history to clear 16 feet, clearing that exact height (4.88m) to take the 2025 world lead away from former Pullman resident Katie Moon, who cleared
15-10 (4.83m) in Liévin, France two days earlier.
The top section of the women's pole vault essentially became a three woman competition between sister Hana and 2022 NCAA pole vault champ Gabby Leon, who was an Olympic Trials finalist last year.
The Moll twins started the competition with first attempt makes at 14-3.5 (4.36m), followed by a first attempt make at 14-7.5 (4.46m).
Vaulting got interesting when Amanda needed two tries to clear 14-11.5 (4.56m), while Hana and Gabby made on their first.
Hana was eliminated at 15-3.5 (4.66m), with both Amanda and Gabby clearing on their second attempt.
Leon was eliminated at 15-7.25 (4.76m), while Amanda made on her first attempt. In the process, she took down the existing collegiate record of 15-7 (4.75m) set by Demi Payne of Stephen F. Austin ten years ago in Albuquerque.
Amanda cleared the next height of 15-9.25 (4.81m) on her first attempt, then took two tries to clear the historic 16 foot vault (4.88m) before retiring from the competition.
Amanda is the fifth woman in American history to clear 16 feet or higher, joining Jenn Suhr (16-6; 5.03m), Sandi Morris (16-4.75; 5.00m); Katie Moon (16-2.75; 4.95m); and Demi Payne (16-0.75/4.83m)*.
*(World Athletics recognizes Payne's mark of 16-0.75/4.83 set of February 20, 2016, as it occured before a positive test for drostanolol, an anabolic agent. Payne tested positive after the USATF Indoor Championships in March 2016. Track & Field News does not recognize marks set in the calendar year of a positive test leading to a suspension, while WA wipes out marks set after March 12, 2016, which was the date of her positive urine sample).
This also breaks the absolute Washington school record of 15-6.25 (4.73m) set indoors by Olivia Gruver in 2019.
Washington State's Tatum Moku finished sixth with a best of 14-3.5 (4.36m).
Other highlights:
--One night after running a 46.9 split on the Huskies' distance medley relay team that set a world best in Seattle, Bodi Ligins of Washington finished sixth in the 400, running 47.01;
--The Washington women's 4 x 400 relay team of Danielle Hunter, Anna Terrell, Kapiolani Coleman, and Mikayla Gardley ran 3:38.95, the third fastest in school history to finish third behind Fresno State and New Mexico State.
TWENTY NINE RUNNERS BREAK 4 MINUTES AT HUSKY CLASSIC...
The sub-four minute mile is almost routine nowadays in the era of super shoes and tracks, but to the average Joe and Jane, it's still a big deal.
Over the course of nine heats at the University of Washington's Husky Classic at the Dempsey Indoor Saturday, a total of 19 men in heats 5 (1), 7 (2), 8 (7), and 9 (9) ducked under four, with BYU's Carter Cutting taking the overall win in 3:57.25 out of the last heat.
In heat 8, Mercer Island's Owen Powell became the first Washington high school runner to break 4 minutes in the mile, finishing third in the heat in 3:57.74. With that mark, he became the second fastest prep miler indoors, only behind Hobbs Kessler of Skyline HS in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 2021
Of course Kessler made the Olympic team last year, where he finished fifth in the 1500.
In the invitational mile, US Olympian Nico Young took the victory over Australian Jude Thomas, with Young winning in a meet record 3:50.89, just off the facility record of 3:50.74 set by the Huskies' Nathan Green at Mile City.
Washington alum Kieran Lumb was third in 3:51.89, while Henry Wynne of the Brooks Beasts had a bounce back performance, finishing sixth in 3:52.86.
In total, ten runners broke 4 minutes in the invitational section, setting a new Dempsey record of 29 men under 4 in a single meet, breaking the old Dempsey record of 18 set in the season opening Mile City.
Since the Dempsey's opening meet in 2002, 360 sub-fours have graced the facility.
Other highlights:
--Maggie Congdon of Northern Arizona led three other women under 4:30 to win the invitational mile in 4:27.77;
--Olympic 800 meter finalist Juliette Whittaker set a meet record in winning the women's 800 in 1:59.44, with Teagan Schein-Becker of the Brooks Beasts third in 2:01.64;
--Lexy Halladay-Lowry of BYU led five women across the line under the meet record of 8:48.73 to win the women's 3000 in 8:40.60. Washington's Amina Maatoug was fifth in 8:46.20;
--Washington's Justin O'Toole broke the school record in the men's 800, going 1:46.44 in finishing second to Northern Arizona's Colin Sahlman, who ran 1:46.40 for the win.
NOTE: The sports information offices of the University of Washington, and the University of New Mexico contributed to this report.
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