In her first meet in nearly a year, Delsea graduate and Villanova junior Ashley Preston won the pole vault in the Wildcats’ season-opening dual meet against Army.
Preston, a three-time Big East pole vault champ, cleared 12-5 1/2 in the meet at Gillis Fieldhouse in West Point, N.Y.
Preston passed through 11-7 1/4, then cleared 12-1 1/4 on her third attempt and 12-5 1/2 on her third attempt.
The official results show Preston raising the bar to 20-5 1/2 and missing three attempts, but considering that that’s about 4 1/2 feet above the world record we’re going to assume it’s a typo!
It was Preston’s first meet since she won the Big East 2020 indoor meet at SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, with a personal-best 13-3 1/2. Preston’s outdoor PR is 13-2 1/4 from the 2019 Big East meet at Icahn Stadium in New York – her last outdoor competition.
Preston ranks 3rd in Villanova history indoors and 4th overall with her 13-3 1/2 clearance from last March. She’s never lost at a Big East meet.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 