University of South Dakota pole vaulters soared in Reno over the weekend. Emily Grove and Bethany Firsick finished first and second in the top women’s college division while Preston Perkins recorded a first place finish in a men’s college division as the South Dakota track teams’ pole vaulters competed at the National Pole Vault Summit held at the Reno Livestock Event Center on Saturday.
Grove vaulted 14 feet, 5¼ inches to win the division, while Firsick vaulted 13-7¼ in her first competition since winning the NCAA outdoor national title last year. If the results counted on the NCAA performance list, Grove’s height would be the top vault in the nation by four inches while Firsick’s would be tied for seventh.
Competing in the same division, Emily Brigham placed eighth in her college debut with a height of 11-9¾ and Hunter Wilkes was 11th at 11-1¾. Competing unattached, Madison Mills placed third in the top women’s open division with a height of 13-1¾.
Perkins cleared 15-5 to win the college men’s third division and was just three-quarters of an inch lower than his season-best last season.
