NEWBERG, Ore. –
Lizzy Daugherty was so thrilled with the way she was vaulting, she initially didn't even know how high she had finally vaulted.
High enough to accomplish three things with one big pole vault clearance.
LIzzy Daugherty
The Seattle Pacific senior got over the bar at 12 feet, 3½ inches on Saturday, giving her first place at the George Fox indoor meet, plus an indoor personal best …
… and a spot on the NCAA Division II provisional qualifying list.
"I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from today's meet, giving a lot of different things that were happening," Daugherty said after her first indoor 12-footer.. "So I was just really calm and relaxed the whole time. Everything felt really good."
The day for Daugherty and the other four SPU vaulters started at about 3:30 a.m. for the 200-mile drive to Newberg and a 10:00 a.m. start time for the women's competition at the George Fox Multi-Use Facility.
Emily Thomason
Daugherty and
Emily Thomason, who helped make it a 1-2 Falcons finish, passed on the first four bars. Both cleared 10-11 ¾, then 11-5¾ on the first try. Both needed a second attempt at 11-11¾, giving each of them an indoor personal best. (Daugherty's outdoor PB is 12-4; Thomason's is 12-4½.)
Then, Daugherty cleared 12-3 ½ on the first try; Thomason wasn't able to get over.
"I didn't even know what I was clearing," said Daugherty, whose previous indoor best was 11-9. "I was getting on the poles I needed to get on. I was super-excited with how I was jumping. It was more about technique than about what bar I was clearing."
On the men's side, freshman Mason Hrcek and senior Kainoa Lee both cleared 14-7¼. Hrcek took second place on the fewer-misses tiebreaker; Lee was third.
NCAA WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
George Fox Indoor
Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
George Fox Multi-Use Facility / Newberg, Ore.
Team scores – Not kept.
SPU EVENTS ONLY
Pole vault – 1,
Lizzy Daugherty 12-3½ / 3.75m.
Other SPU – 2,
Emily Thomason 11-11½ / 3.65m;
Charlie Hill no height.
NCAA MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
George Fox Indoor
Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024
George Fox Multi-Use Facility / Newberg, Ore.
Team scores – Not kept.
Pole vault – 1, Eli Stevens (Oregon Tech) 15-1 /4.60m. SPU – 2, Mason Hrcek 14-7¼ / 4.45m; 3, Kainoa Lee 14-7¼ / 4.45m.
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