West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois Track & Field Team will have representation at the NCAA West Regionals on May 28 at Texas A&M University, College Station. Arnie Grunert qualified for the event with a vault of 5.20 meters during the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship Meet last weekend, placing him among the top 20 Regional qualifiers. Grunert is currently ranked third nationally with a season-best vault of 5.65 meters, achieved at the Gary Wieneke Memorial Meet on May 2.

During the OVC Championship Meet, Grunert opted to pass on attempting a height of 5.30 meters and instead attempted to clear 5.36 meters after successfully clearing 5.20 meters. Although he did not clear the higher mark, his decision allowed him to secure a position within the top 20 qualifiers as the qualifying standard was set at 5.16 meters for pole vaulting.

The top twelve finishers in this category at the West Regional will move forward to compete in the NCAA National Championships in Eugene, Oregon from June 11–14. The pole vault competition is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. on May 28.

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