EUGENE, Ore. – App State freshman
Lilly Nichols matched her program record of 4.24m (13' 11") to tie for 17th in the women's pole vault at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore. on Thursday.
"I'm extremely proud of Lilly's performance at her first NCAA finals," said pole vault coach
Daniel Isaacs. "She represented App State very well."
Nichols, who entered Thursday's competition ranked 19th, cleared the opening bar of 4.09m (13' 5") with ease before matching her personal best and program record of 4.24m (13' 11"). The Broomfield, Colo. native tied with Virginia Tech's Lyndsey Reed and Julia Fixsen for 17th overall. Nichols earned an All-America Honorable Mention for her efforts and is the second Mountaineer in three years to earn the honor, after Jada Branch collected an All-America Honorable Mention for her performance in the women's triple jump at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"I'm extremely proud of Lilly and Coach Isaacs," said director of track & field/cross country
Damion McLean. "They had an amazing season and capped it off at the top. I'm looking forward to the future of their growth and the growth of the program."
On May 30, Nichols made program history, becoming App State's first women's pole vaulter to advance to the NCAA Championship meet. The NCAA East First Round in Jacksonville, Fla. was where she first recorded her personal best and school record clearance (4.24m (13' 11")), finishing 11th to punch her ticket to Eugene.
Nichols caps her freshman season in the High Country as App State's indoor and outdoor women's pole vault record holder. She also collected Sun Belt Women's Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year honors and a pair of Second Team All-SBC accolades.
Washington's Hana Moll clinched the women's pole vault title with a collegiate and meet record clearance of 4.79m (15' 8.5").
Up Next
The Mountaineers will compete in the USATF U20 Championships in Eugene, Ore. on June 19-20.
