Delsea’s Nico Morales became the first South Jersey pole vaulter ever to clear 18 feet Friday at the Big Ten Conference Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Morales, a senior at Rutgers, cleared 18 feet on his 3rd attempt. He’s only the 4th vaulter ever from New Jersey to clear 18 feet. Bradley Jelmert of Watchung Hills cleared 18-9 ¼ in Pittsburg, Kans., in December 2023, current Rutgers junior Kevin O’Sullivan cleared 18-2 indoors in January at the Armory and current Rutgers sophomore Brian O’Sullivan cleared 18-1 in a meet in Tampa last month. On Friday, Kevin O’Sullivan no-heighted and Brian O’Sullivan joined Morales clearing 18 feet.
Coming into this weekend, only 15 NCAA Division 1 vaulters had cleared 18 feet this year, including Jelmert, a senior at Arkansas State. The 18-foot clearance puts Morales in the No. 39 spot this year among U.S. men.
Morales had a PR of 16-9 ½ coming into this indoor season. He cleared 17 feet for the first time in January at the Ott Center with a 17-2 ¾ that made him the first South Jersey 17-footer. He improved to 17-6 ½ in February in Cambridge, Mass., and then 17-9 in his most recent meet, the Rutgers Relays in Piscataway a month ago.
On Friday, Morales opened at 17-0 ¼ and cleared on his 1st attempt before getting over the bar at 17-4 ¼ and 17-8 ¼ on his 2nd tries and 18 on his 3rd. He took three attempts at 18-2.
Illinois sophomore Cody Johnson won the competition with an 18-2 clearance on his second attempt. Morales was one of four others to clear 18-0, including Brian O’Sullivan. Morales placed 5th with more misses than the three others who cleared 18-0.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 