The Big East pole vault title is back where it belongs. In the hands of Delsea graduate Ashley Preston.
The Villanova senior won the pole vault at her first three Big East meets – indoors and outdoors in 2019, indoors in 2020 and then outdoors in 2021 after the shutdown ended. But then she was 2nd in the 2021 outdoor meet, 2022 indoor and outdoor meets and 2023 indoor meets.
Preston placed 2nd to UConn’s Emma Chee outdoors in 2021, indoors in 2022 and outdoors in 2022 and indoors this past February to another UConn vaulter, Kalli Knott.
This past weekend at her home facility in Radnor, Pa., Preston reclaimed the Big East title, winning her 4th conference championship with a 12-8 ¼ clearance. She and another UConn vaulter – Sofia Wittman – both cleared 12-8 ¼ but Preston got over the bar on her first attempt and Wittman on her second.
Preston is the 10th Villanova athlete to win four Big East titles in the same event and the first to win four pole vault championships.
Preston has a PR of 13-3 ¾ from a meet at Franklin Field in April 2021, and she’s been over 13 feet twice this spring – 13-1 ½ at a meet last month in Charlottesville, Va., and 13-2 ½ last month at the Penn Relays, where she placed 5th.
Preston is No. 3 in Villanova history indoors with a 13-3 ¼ at the 2020 indoor Big East meet and No. 3 outdoors with her 13-3 ¾.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 