IT LOOKED AS IF Kansas junior Ashton Barkdull was about to roll to victory… until Texas A&M junior Aleksandr Solovev snatched it away from him, seemingly out of nowhere.
When the bar got to 18-9½ (5.73), Barkdull appeared to be in the driver’s seat while everyone else was on the ropes. He had just cleared 18-7½ (5.68) on his first try, while Solovev, Arkansas State’s Bradley Jelmert and Duke’s Simen Guttormsen all had one miss and decided to pass. That meant Barkdull had the usual three attempts coming up while Solovev and Jelmert had only two, and indoor champ and Norwegian Olympian Guttormsen — who also had a miss-pass at 18-5½ (5.63) — had only one.
All four took a miss on the first try. On the second go, Jelmert and Guttormsen went out. Barkdull cleared for a PR, so Solovev, certainly mindful his Aggie squad was in the team hunt, decided to pass and pin his hopes on a single clutch jump at 18-11½ (5.78).
He got it.
After Barkdull rolled through the mat on his first attempt, Solovev grazed the bar with his chest, gave a quick glance to see if it had stayed up, and then let out a triumphant fist pump and yell.
Barkdull passed up to 19-1½ (5.83) but only to miss twice more. Solovev was also done — he had a miss and then passed upward, taking two half-hearted attempts at 19-2¼ (5.85).
Afterward, Solovev — the ’24 Russian indoor champion — seemed unfazed by the skin-of-his teeth, last-chance win.
“I controlled it,” the SEC champ said. “It is my profession. I do it every time.”
It was only his fourth clearance of the day, compared to seven for Barkdull. Such is the strange nature of the pole vault.
“It is always a long competition,” Solovev said. “It was about 3 hours today. I did everything, so it was fine. I started with a 5.33 (17-5¾) and then I passed by 5.43 (17-9 ¾).” He admitted to having some problems at 5.63 (18-5½, where he needed three attempts.
Solovev’s 2-point gain for A&M versus the T&FN formchart proved crucial to the ultimate team outcome.
MEN’S POLE VAULT RESULTS
FINAL (June 11)
1. *Aleksandr Solovev’ (TxAM-Rus) 18-11½ (5.78);
2. *Ashton Barkdull (Ks) 18-9½ (5.73) PR;
3. Bradley Jelmert (ArSt) 18-5½ (5.63) out PR;
4. Benjamin Conacher’ (VaT-Aus) 18-3¾ (5.58);
=5. ***Bryce Barkdull (Ks) 18-1¾ (5.53) PR;
=5. Simen Guttormsen’ (Duke-Nor) 18-1¾ (5.53);
=7. **Cody Johnston (Il) 18-1¾ (5.53);
=7. *Kevin O’Sullivan (Rut) 18-1¾ (5.53) out PR;
9. William Staggs (InSt) 18-1¾ (5.53) =out PR;
10. *Cade Gray (Tn) 17-9¾ (5.43); 11. Scott Toney (Wa) 17-9¾; 12. Jak Urlacher (Mn) 17-9¾; 13. tie, *Logan Hammer (UtSt), Nico Morales (Rut), *Evan Puckett (Tn) & **John Kendricks (Ms) 17-5¾ (5.33); 17. *Logan Kelley (Ms) 17-5¾ (5.33) =PR; 18. tie, **Sean Gribble (TxT) & Tre Young (SD) 17-5¾; 20. *Arnie Grunert (WnIl) 17-0 (5.18); 21. Nikolai Van Huyssteen’ (Ga-SA) 17-0;… nh—Hunter Garretson (Akr), *Colton Rhodes (Ok), ***Ricardo Montes De Oca’ (HPt-Ecu).
| 17-0 | 17-5¾ | 17-9¾ | 18-1¾ | 18-3¾ | 18-5½ | 18-7½ | 18-9½ | 18-11½ | 19-1½ | 19-2¼ | |
| Morales | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gribble | ppp | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kelley | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jelmert | ppp | o | o | o | o | xxo | xpp | xx | — | — | — |
| Barkdull | o | xo | xo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Puckett | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Young | o | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| De Oca | ppp | xpp | xx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grunert | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Barkdull | o | o | o | xo | ppp | o | o | xo | xpp | xx | — |
| Urlacher | o | xxo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Solovev | ppp | o | ppp | o | ppp | xxo | xpp | xpp | o | xpp | xx |
| Kendricks | o | o | xxp | x | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| O’Sullivan | xo | o | xxp | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Van Huyssteen | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hammer | ppp | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Johnston | o | xxo | xo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Gray | o | o | o | xpp | xx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Staggs | xo | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Guttormsen | ppp | xxo | ppp | o | ppp | xpp | xpp | x | — | — | — |
| Rhodes | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Toney | o | xo | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Garretson | ppp | ppp | xpp | xx | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Conacher | o | xo | xo | xxo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5.18 | 5.33 | 5.43 | 5.53 | 5.58 | 5.63 | 5.68 | 5.73 | 5.78 | 5.83 | 5.85 |
