ALLENDALE, Mich. – Sian Morgan put the Warriors back on the podium in women's pole vault as the senior soared to a seventh place finish to earn an All-American trophy at the 2014 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday.
Morgan cleared a seasonal best height of 3.90 meters or 12 feet, 9 1/2 inches to reach the awards podium – becoming the first Cal State Stanislaus female to do so in the outdoor event since 2011.
This is Morgan's second All-American finish this season. She earned an indoor All-American finish in March with an eighth place showing.
On Thursday, Morgan passed on the opening height of 3.60 meters and cleared 3.70 on her first attempt. It took three jumps to clear 3.80, which is close to her best this season of 3.81-meters. On the next height, at 3.90, she missed on the first two tries and vaulted over the bar on her third jump to reach the season best. She missed on all three tries at 4.00 meters, which is the winning height posted by Grand Valley State's Kristen Hixson.
Hixson only made one jump in competition all day to win the national championship. She passed on all four previously heights and cleared 4.00 on her first try.
Between 2003 and 2011, there were 10 Warrior All-Americans in pole vault with Chaunte Mitchell winning the national championships twice. That streak ended in 2011 with Alycia Wagner's performance at Al Brenda Track at Warrior Stadium when Cal State Stanislaus hosted the championships.
In other events for the Warrior women on Thursday, Courtney Anderson and Marina Vorderbruegge both advance to Saturday's finals of the 1500-meter run. Anderson qualified third overall in 4:27.98 in Heat one of the prelim race on Thursday. Vorderbruegge had the second best time in Heat two (eighth overall) with a 4:29.28 as a part of 12 runners to compete on Saturday.
Rachel Naranjo (3000m Steeplechase, 13th, 10:57.28) and Andrea Severson (400m Hurdles, 12th, 1:01.33) also competed on Thursday in qualifying runs but will not be advancing. Naranjo finished seventh in her heat and was one second behind the final qualifier's time of 10:56.28.
NCAA DIvision II Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Cal State Stanislaus Qualifiers
Completed
Name Event Time/Mark Rank Notes
Courtney Anderson 1500m 4:27.98 3 Advanced to Final on Saturday
Marina Vorderbruegge 1500m 4:29.28 8 Advanced to Final on Saturday
Sian Morgan Pole Vault 3.90m 7 2nd All-American Finish this season
Rachel Naranjo Steeplechase 10:57.28 13
Andrea Severson 400m Hurdles 1:01.33 12
