The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT was another indoor national record-breaking performance for pole vaulter Brenden Vanderpool as he duplicated the same feat at the same venue he established the previous mark last month.

Vanderpool, 18, improved his new mark at the Samford Open at the Birmingham Metro CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama, as he led a field of elite and collegiate athletes competing in various meets around the US on Friday and Saturday, including the world record feat by hurdler Devynne Charlton and the outstanding performances from college athletes Terrence Jones and Javonya Valcourt and elite sprinter Anthonique Strachan and long jumper LaQuan Nairn.

The Samford University freshman soared 17-feet, 10 1/2-inches or 5.45 metres to win the men’s pole vault, which qualified him for the NCAA Division II Indoor Nationals in Boston in March.

He is also listed as the number one freshman in the nation in the event.

“I feel like I’ve been expecting in the back of my head that I would jump close to this high this year, but I didn’t have any clues that it would come so early in the season,” Vanderpool said. “But it feels good.”

During the competition, Vanderpool opened with 15-11 3/4 (4.87m) and he went to 16-7 1/2 (5.07m) and then 17-0 1/2 (5.20m), which was his previous best. As the last man left in the competition, he took the bar to 17-7 1/2 (5.30m). “After I cleared it, I felt I still had a lot of height, so my coach told me I might as well keep going,” Van- derpool said. “He told me to go to 5.45m and I said of course.

“I missed the first two attempts, but sometime I grazed the bar on my third attempt and since it didn’t drop, I leapt out of the bed. That was the best jump I ever had. Everything just connected perfectly. I shook the bar a little, but it stayed up there. I’m ecstatic.”

With his parents, Monique and Brent Vanderpool, among the crowd cheering him on, the Baha- mian national outdoor and CARIFTA Games record holder said he attempted 18-0 1/2 (5.50m), but admit- ted that he just didn’t have the legs to continue.

After the performance, he said the only thing he wanted to do was eat and go to bed because he was really tired from all of the excitement.

“I just need some rest,” he said.

As he continues the rest of the season, Vanderpool admitted that the sky is the limit because he doesn’t have a mark to attempt anymore. He said he will just leave it open as he works on his technique to get better at his clearances.

“I did not do this alone. I want to thank God, my parents, my coaches and team-mates and all of the rest of my family and friends,” he stated. “They all encouraged me to go out there and do my best.”

Jones sizzles

At the Jervis Scott Open at the Texas Tech-Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas, Grand Bahamian native and Texas Tech’s junior Terrence Jones pulled off the men’s 60m victory in 6.47.

His sophomore teammate and hurdler Antoine Andrews was fourth in 6.58.

Jones and Andrews had the third and fourth fast- est qualifying times of 6.54 and 6.69 respectively. Jaron Dean, a senior at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), was 20th in 6.80.

Strachan and Nairn surged

At the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Strachan and Nairn, who are preparing for the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, led the way.

Strachan, who currently trains in Jamaica, had to settle for third in the open women’s 60 metres in 7.30 seconds as she trailed the Jamaican twin sisters Tina and Tia Clayton, who did 7.25 and 7.28 for first and second respectively.

Also at the meet, Wanya McCoy, a sophomore at Florida, had the fastest qualifying time of 6.58 for a new lifetime best. He came back in the final and posted another fast time of 6.65 for second behind Myles Thomas, a sophomore at LSU, who won in 6.62.

Florida’s junior Anthaya Charlton produced the seventh fastest qualifying time of 7.36m but she didn’t contest the final.

In the 200m, Grand Baha- mian Shatalya Dorsette clocked her personal best of 24.28. The Louisiana Tech freshman was 29th overall.

In the women’s 400m, Wendira Moss, a senior at Northern Colorado, was 26th overall in 55.31.

And Danielle Gibson picked up a sixth place finish in the women’s 60m hurdles in 8.11 after she turned in the fourth fastest qualifying time in the preliminaries in 8.14.

On the field, Nairn, competing in the men’s invitational long jump, soared 26-0 1/4 (7.93m) for third place. Florida’s senior Mal- colm Clemons, a senior at Florida, won with 26-93/4 (8.17m).

And Mateo Smith, a sophomore at Louisiana Tech, cleared 23-4 (7.11m) for ninth place in the men’s long jump.

Valcourt and Jackson lifetime feats

At the Tiger Paw Invitational at the Clemson University Indoor Track in Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee’s sophomore Javonya Valcourt ran a personal best of 52.32 for sixth place in the women’s 400m. She now has the 265th best time in the NCAA.

Also at the meet, Calea Jackson, a freshman at Miami, competed in the women’ weight throw where she placed seventh with her lifetime best of 60-61/2 (18.45m).

Roberts PB leads SDSU

At the SDSU Indoor Classic in Bookings, South Dakota, Shavantae Roberts qualified for the finals with a 7.71 preliminary time. She came back in the final for fourth place with a 7.73 time.

Roberts, a Msu-Moorhead sophomore, also clocked a new personal best in the 200m dash later in the day with a time of 25.17 to finish seventh overall and the fourth-fastest indoor 200m in school history.

In the men’s 200m, another Msu-Moorhead sophomore Elkan Johnson also posted a new indoor personal best with a time of 23.33 for 51st place overall.

And on the field, Msu-Moorhead senior and junior Shyrone Kemp and Tyler Missick finished in a two-way tie for second place in the men’s high jump wirth a leap of 6-06 (1.98m). Braden Brown, a junior at North Dakota State, won the event with 6-08 (2.03m).