Delsea’s Nico Morales, a Rutgers senior, cleared 17-5 ¾ on his 1st attempt in the pole vault at NCAA East prelims to earn a trip to the NCAA Championships in Eugene next month.
The top 12 vaulters at East prelims in Jacksonville Thursday morning plus the top 12 from West prelims in College Station, Texas, qualified to compete at NCAAs at Hayward Field on June 11.
The competition, delayed by thunderstorms Wednesday night, was rescheduled for early Thursday morning before the first day of women’s action began at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium.
Five vaulters cleared 17-9 ¾ Thursday and ten vaulters cleared 17-5 ¾, seven of whom advanced and three who didn’t. The vaulters who had multiple misses but cleared 17-5 ¾ did not advance.
Morales cleared 17-0 on his 2nd attempt and 17-5 ¾ on his first.
Morales is the South Jersey alumni record holder with his 18-foot clearance at the Big Ten Championships in Eugene earlier this month (although the official results show him [and every other vaulter] no-heighting).
It’s been a remarkable year for Morales, who cleared 17 feet for the first time just four months ago – in January in Akron, Ohio – and is now ranked 18th among U.S. men.
The 24 competitors will jump in Eugene at 4:35 p.m. on June 11.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 
According to sources, the pegs on the standards at Big Tens were HS pegs and therefore none of the men’s jumps at Big Tens could be official. That’s why they are all listed as NH. Can’t make this up.
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Good grief. Did they have NJSIAA officials working the meet???
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