THIS ABUNDANTLY DEEP competition was not just the first NCAA outdoor final to see five women fy over 15-feet, it was, in fact, the first in which more than two rose so hight. The previous benchmark was 2015, when Demi Payne’s 15-5 (4.70) bettered Sandi Morris’s 15-3 (4.65).
AS WAS THE CASE with Wednesday’s men’s vault, the women’s competition with a field of 24 athletes started slowly. All contestants left Hayward Field clearing at least one bar, starting at 13-5 (4.09).
The next height of 13-11 (4.24) only eliminated 7. That happened to be the height at which Washington’s Amanda Moll, the ’25 indoor champion, entered the competition. On the other hand, twin sister and 3-time (2 indoor, 1 outdoor last year) champ Hana Moll, was the only one to pass that bar, opting to enter at 14-4¾ (4.39).
Four more were eliminated at the latter height, as the contenders and the pretenders began to sort themselves out. Amanda cleared the bar on her second try, while 7 others, including Anna Willis of South Dakota and Ashley Callahan of Louisville, succeeded on their first attempts.
The twins, who have embraced the philosophy of taking as few jumps as possible in collegiate meets, passed at the following height of 14-8¾ (4.49). That bar eliminated 7 more, whittling the field to 10.
At 14-10¾ (4.54), 7 more were eliminated, including Cal Poly’s Lexi Evans, Washington’s Sara Borton, and Duke’s Gemma Tutton, all of whom had set PRs at the previous height. Hana Moll needed a second attempt to clear 14-10¾, while Tennessee frosh Hannah Grace used three attempts to clear and continue.
Of the 6 remaining vaulters, Willis, Baylor’s Molly Haywood and Grace continued to the next height of 15-¾ (4.59). Then Grace bowed out with three misses, while Haywood needed two attempts and Willis three to move on.
At 15-2¾ (4.64), the twins took command, each with a first-attempt make. Willis rebounded with a first-try make to set a new PR, and Callahan made on her second to also set a new PR and whittle the field to 4 after Haywood was eliminated.
The Molls passed the next height of 15-4½ (4.69), leaving Willis and Callahan to battle it out. Both missed all three tries.
Amanda cleared 15-6½ (4.74) on her first attempt, while Hana needed a second to clear. With only the twins remaining, the bar moved up to 15-10½ (4.84), a mark 1cm above the outdoor collegiate best set by Hana at last month’s Big 10.
Hana missed all three tries, while Amanda went to the well to clear it on her third.
With her second career NCAA title in her pocket, Amanda took two shots at her ultimate collegiate record of 16-1¾ (4.92), then called it a day.
The win gave Amanda her second career NCAA title to go with the ’25 indoor crown. In NCAA championship meet competitions where they’ve competed head-to-head, the twins are even at 2 each.
“Speaking for the entire field, that was the most competitive national championship meet,” said the winner. “A lot of girls were jumping at the high bars, so you had to be strategic. Hana and I were passing to give us a little more time between bars. We played it well, and I had just enough energy to clear 4.84.”
WOMEN’S POLE VAULT RESULTS
(June 11)
1. *Amanda Moll (Wa) 15-10½ (4.84) out PR (out WL, AL, CL) (x, 4 C);
2. *Hana Moll (Wa) 15-6½ (4.74);
3. **Anna Willis (SD) 15-2¾ (4.64) PR (=9, x C);
4. Ashley Callahan (Louis) 15-2¾ (4.64) PR (=9, x C);
5. *Molly Haywood (Bay) 15-¾ (4.59);
6. ***Hannah Grace (Tn) 14-10¾ (4.54) PR;
7. Lexi Evans (SLO) 14-8¾ (4.49) PR;
8. **Tenly Kuhn (Bay) 14-8¾ (4.49);
9. tie, Sara Borton (Wa) & *Gemma Tutton’ (Duke-GB) 14-8¾ (both PR); 11. Mia Morello (Il) 14-4¾ (4.39); 12. Marleen Mulla’ (SD-Est) 14-4¾; 13. tie, Ali Sahaida (Cal) & *Mason Meinershagen (Ks) 14-4¾); 15. ***Veronica Vacca (Wa) 14-4¾; 16. *Chiara Sistermann’ (VaT-Ger) 14-4¾; 17. *Iliana Triantafyllou’ (Louis-Gre) 14-4¾ PR; 18. tie, **Jathiyah Muhammad (SC), Abby Knouff (Cinc), **Emily Romano (HPt) & *Avery Hilliard (Corn) 13-5 (4.09); 22. Tessa Mudd (Prin) 13-5; 23. tie, *Sarah Ferguson (Ky) & Kennedy Drish (GM) 13-5.
| 13-5 | 13-11 | 14-4¾ | 14-8¾ | 14-10¾ | 15-¾ | 15-2¾ | 15-4½ | 15-6½ | 15-8½ | 15-10½ | 16-1¾ | |
| Sistermann | o | xxo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tutton | ppp | o | xxo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Willis | o | o | o | o | o | xxo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| A. Moll | ppp | o | xo | ppp | o | ppp | o | ppp | o | ppp | xxo | xxp |
| Morello | ppp | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Triantafyllou | o | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ferguson | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Drish | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Meinershagen | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Callahan | ppp | o | o | xo | o | ppp | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Borton | o | o | xxo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Haywood | ppp | o | o | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Evans | ppp | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mulla | xo | xxo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Romano | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sahaida | ppp | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hilliard | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vacca | o | xo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Knouff | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grace | ppp | xo | o | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| H. Moll | ppp | ppp | o | ppp | xo | ppp | o | ppp | xo | ppp | xxx | — |
| Muhammad | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kuhn | ppp | xo | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mudd | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 4.09 | 4.24 | 4.39 | 4.49 | 4.54 | 4.59 | 4.64 | 4.69 | 4.74 | 4.79 | 4.84 | 4.92 |
