Full Results
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Illinois men's track and field team finished their first day of the NCAA West Preliminaries on Wednesday (May 28) from E.B. Cushing Stadium at Texas A&M. Pole vaulter Cody Johnston punched his ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a clearance of 5.42m (17-9 1/4) on his third and final attempt.
5.42m wasn't the only bar that Johnston needed his final attempt to clear, after passing on 5.02m (16-5 1/2) he cleared all his remaining bars on his final attempt: 5.17m (16-11 1/2), 5.32m (17-5 1/2) and finally 5.42m (17-9 1/4).
With those six fouls he absolutely needed to clear 5.42m to place inside the qualifying top 12 or else he would've placed 13th and missed based on the tie breaker of least fouls. This is the second-consecutive season he's punched his ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He's already a two-time All-American when he took fifth last year outdoors and earlier this season he placed eighth indoors.
NATIONAL QUALIFIERS
UP NEXT
The women's track and field team begin their first day of competition tomorrow (May 29) with field events starting at 10 a.m. and track events 6 p.m. CT.
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