KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
EUGENE, ORE. – Indiana State senior Nicole Hope concluded her final competition of the 2013 outdoor season on Friday by tying for 13th in the women's pole vault at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Hope easily cleared 12'-9½” (3.90m) and 13'-3½” (4.05m) on her first attempt at each bar but missed on her first attempt at 13'-7¼” (4.15m) before successfully clearing the height on her second attempt. She had three good attempts at 13'-9¼” (4.20m) which would have tied her collegiate but nudged the bar on each attempt.
South Dakota junior Bethany Buell entered the NCAA Championships as the top ranked women's pole vaulter and she capped her season by claiming the 2013 NCAA title by clearing 14'-7¼” (4.45m) on her final attempt which equaled the NCAA Championship meet record held by four vaulters including former Sycamore Kylie Hutson (2010).
Kansas junior Natalia Bartnovskaya entered the championships as the second ranked women's pole vaulter and gave it a good try to take over the top spot but just missed on her final attempt at 14'-7¼” (4.45m) but still took second by clearing 14'-5¼” (4.40m). Eastern Illinois junior Jade Riebold also failed to clear the bar at 14'-7¼” (4.45m) and was judged third with one more miss than Bartnovskaya while also clearing 14'-5¼” (4.40m).
Hope won her second Missouri Valley Conference this season and tied for first at the NCAA East Preliminaries. She also won the MVC in 2011 and placed 24th at the NCAA East before missing the 2012 season due to an injury. She holds the number two spot on the Sycamore all-time list in both indoor and outdoor pole vault.
The 2013 NCAA Championships wrap up on Saturday with two more Sycamores looking to score points for Indiana State.
Felisha Johnson will be first up for Indiana State as she competes in the women's shot put at 4 p.m. (ET). Johnson has been ranked second in the event for most of the season and placed fifth at the 2012 NCAA Championships.
Greggmar Swift will be looking for a podium finish in the men's 110 meter hurdle final which will be run at 6:16 p.m. (ET) Saturday. Swift finished 10th a year ago but had a good start this year before a little jostling got him off stride in the middle of the race. He still finished third in the opening heat of the semifinals Thursday with a wind aided 11.51 which was still fast enough to advance to the finals on time.
Texas A&M junior Wayne Davis II won the heat in 13.25 with Kentucky senior Keith Hayes second in 13.32 for the two automatic qualifying berths. Swift ran 13.51 to finish third and was just ahead of Colorado State junior Trevor Brown who finished in 13.55. Swift and Brown both advanced on time to the finals.
Also advancing was Clemson senior Spencer Adams, winner of the third heat in 13.24, Oregon sophomore Johnathan Cabral, winner of the second heat in 13.46, Florida junior Eddie Lovett, second in the third heat in 13.29, and Syracuse sophomore Donald Pollitt, second in the second heat in 13.55.
