THE DAY BELONGED TO Austin Miller, no question about it. The 31-year-old veteran vaulter had never finished higher than 8th at an outdoor nationals. He came in No. 2 on the formchart, largely on the strength of his 3rd at indoor nationals and his 19-4¾ (5.91) PR in late May.
The event moved quickly, with only 5 clearing the third bar, 18-9¼ (5.72). Miller, Sam Kendricks and Matt Ludwig all had clean slates and shared the lead. Cole Walsh made it on his second attempt and Nathan Richartz on his third. American Record holder KC Lightfoot was among those who went out at that height.
Officials raised the bar to 19-1 (5.82) and the ongoing winds made that a tough ask. All five missed their first attempt. On the second, after misses for Kendricks and Walsh, Miller soared over cleanly, to the loud cheers of the crowd. His competitors all missed their second attempts, and then they all missed their third.
Miller, who had never made a national team before, who had never made it to a NCAA Championship while at High Point, would be leading the U.S. vault squad to Tokyo. Kendricks and Ludwig, tied for 2nd, are set to accompany him. For 2-time Worlds champ Kendricks it is fourth Worlds squad, his first since ’19. It’s the first for Ludwig.
However, Miller wasn’t quite done. The bar was set to go to 19-3 (5.87). He asked officials to skip that and go straight to 19-5 (5.92), a PR height. Why not?
His first two attempts knocked the bar down, but on his third, he found the height and soared over.
“It means a lot,” the victor told DyeStat. “There was a lot of emotion today. To get a PB on a third attempt, too, with the stadium clapping behind you, you can’t write it better. To become a national champion for the first time like that and make your first world team like that, that’s something that’s going to be a core memory for the rest of my life.”
The unsponsored Miller, who is coached by ’18 indoor champion Scott Houston, added, “The wind was so swirly today, it really came down to who could steer themselves in and stay controlled within their body today.
“Once I was up and over [the PR], and I kind of peeked out of the corner of my eye and I saw how much clearance I had on it, it was elation.”
MEN’S POLE VAULT RESULTS
(August 03)
1. Austin Miller (HPtAC) 19-5 (5.92);
=2. Sam Kendricks (Nik) 18-9¼ (5.72);
=2. Matt Ludwig (unat) 18-9¼;
4. Cole Walsh (unat) 18-9¼;
5. Nathan Richartz (Tracksm) 18-9¼;
6. Hunter Garretson (Akr) 18-5¼ (5.62);
7. Ashton Barkdull (Ks) 18-5¼;
8. KC Lightfoot (Pum) 18-5¼;
9. Carson Waters (unat) 18-1¼ (5.52);
10. Kobe Babin (unat) 18-1¼;
11. Scott Toney (Wa) 18-1¼;
… nh—Logan Hammer (UtSt), Keaton Daniel (Nik), Tray Oates (unat).
| 18-1¼ | 18-5¼ | 18-9¼ | 19-1 | 19-3 | 19-5 | 19-7 | |
| Babin | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oates | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lightfoot | xo | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Garretson | o | o | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| Kendricks | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Hammer | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Walsh | o | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Miller | o | o | o | xo | p | xxo | p |
| Toney | xxo | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Richartz | xo | xo | xxo | xxx | — | — | — |
| Daniel | xxx | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ludwig | o | o | o | xxx | — | — | — |
| Waters | o | xxx | — | — | — | — | — |
| Barkdull | o | xo | xxx | — | — | — | — |
| 5.52 | 5.62 | 5.72 | 5.82 | 5.87 | 5.92 | 5.97 |
