KEATON DANIEL’S INTRODUCTION to Hayward Field in ’21 was not what he expected — it was quiet.
Normally a boisterous venue thanks to Eugene’s knowledgeable fans, there was just a small crowd for the NCAA Outdoor Champs due to Covid (reportedly 5060 in the stands for the Day 1 vault). But the Kentucky frosh persevered, regardless.
Jump forward 3 years and Daniel was atop the podium at the ’24 championships, disposing of his challengers with a clean slate through his winning height of 18-7¼ (5.67). To a lot of cheers.
“I felt it an honor to compete at historic Hayward Field,” said Daniel. “Today, I did step back and reflected on 2021.”
He had placed 2nd then in 18-2¼ (5.55). Later that summer he was 8th at the Olympic Trials in a PR 18-8½ (5.70), still his outdoor best. He improved his indoor PR this winter to 19-¼ (5.80) at Lubbock.
“I try to be consistent, and it’s difficult in the pole vault,” he said. In his eight NCAAs while at Kentucky, Keaton has placed among the top 8 five times, including when he won this winter’s Indoor title. He has added 6 SEC wins during that time.
His closest challenger here was another regular at the NCAA — Kansas’s Clayton Simms, who was the only vaulter besides Daniel clear at 18-5¼ (5.25), but Simms needed two tries which put him into 2nd place. In his 3 years as a Jayhawk, Simms has been on the NCAA podium six times, but never better than 5th previously.
“I was lacking focus,” said Simms who was ecstatic with the runner-up spot. “I finally got comfortable late in the season.”
He only had 1 miss in four bars before going out at 18-7¼. For the rest of the field, the big decider was 18-1¼ (5.52).
As seven vaulters stayed alive up to that setting, Christyan Sampy of Houston and formchart favorite Simen Guttormsen of Duke went clean through 18-1¼ but each missed thrice at 18-5¼. So they tied for 3rd. Frosh Cody Johnston of Illinois had one miss at 17-7¼, and made 18-1¼ on his first so he stood alone in 5th and was the only yearling among the top 19.
MEN’S POLE VAULT RESULTS
(June 05)
1. Keaton Daniel (Ky) 18-7¼ (5.67);
2. *Clayton Simms (Ks) 18-5¼ (5.62);
3. tie, Christyan Sampy (Hous) & Simen Guttormsen’ (Duke-Nor) 18-1¼ (5.52);
5. ***Cody Johnston (Il) 18-1¼;
6. tie, *James Rhoads (Penn) & Skyler Magula (Cal) 18-1¼;
8. tie, Max Manson (Wa), **Conner McClure (VaT), Eerik Haamer’ (SD-Est), Kyle Rademeyer’ (SAl-SA) & Marshall Faurot (SD) 17-7¼ (5.37);
13. Scott Toney (Penn) 17-7¼; 14. Randon Gray (UTA) 17-7¼ out PR; 15. **Walter Bannerman (GM) 17-7¼ PR; 16. **Logan Hammer (UtSt) 17-1½ (5.22); 17. tie, Dalton Shepler (Ky) & **Arnie Grunert (WnIl) 17-1½; 19. *Nikolai Van Huyssteen’ (Ga-SA) 17-1½; 20. tie, Travis Snyder (Ct) & ***Brian O’Sullivan (Rut) 16-7½ (5.07); 22. tie, ***Sean Gribble (TxT) & *Tyler Carrel (In) 16-7½;… nh—Jack Hodge (GCan).
| 16-7½ | 17-1½ | 17-7¼ | 18-1¼ | 18-5¼ | 18-7¼ | 18-9¼ | 19-1 | |
| Johnston | ppp | o | xo | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Guttormsen | ppp | ppp | o | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Magula | ppp | ppp | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Sampy | ppp | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Simms | ppp | o | o | o | xo | xpp | xx | — |
| Grunert | xo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Snyder | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Shepler | xo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Toney | ppp | xxo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Haamer | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Manson | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Bannerman | xxo | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Hodge | ppp | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Van Huyssteen | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Carrel | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Daniel | ppp | ppp | o | o | o | o | xpp | xx |
| Gray | xo | xo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Hammer | ppp | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| McClure | ppp | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| O’Sullivan | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Faurot | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Rhoads | ppp | ppp | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Gribble | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rademeyer | ppp | ppp | o | ppp | xxx | — | — | — |
| 5.07 | 5.22 | 5.37 | 5.52 | 5.62 | 5.67 | 5.72 | 5.82 |