South Dakota senior pole vaulter Emily Grove has qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships for the second time of her career.
The top-16 athletes in individual events along with the top-12 relay teams across the nation qualify for the meet. Grove joins North Dakota State’s Erin Teschuk (mile, 3,000 meters) and Oral Roberts’ Israel Nelson (60-meter hurdles) as qualifiers from The Summit League.
Grove punched her ticket at the Iowa State Classic after tying her career-best height of 14 feet, 9 ½ inches. Her mark also tied her own indoor school record from 2014. Grove won the pole vault at the Summit League Indoor Championships over the weekend after vaulting 14-1 ¾.
Duke’s Megan Clark and Arkansas’ Alexis Weeks are tied for the top spot in the vault at 15-1, while Grove’s mark ranks third.
A three-time All-American, Grove posted her best national finish at the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships. She finished runner-up at the meet by clearing 14-7 ¼. Grove placed seventh at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2012 and 2013.
The NCAA Indoor Championships are held March 11-12 at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. Grove pole vaults at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 12. The championships will be streamed live on ESPN3 starting at 5:25 p.m. Friday and 3:55 p.m. Saturday. The broadcast will re-air on ESPN2 Sunday, March 13 at 6 p.m.
