Saturday, March 9
Birmingham, Ala.
5:00 p.m.
West Virginia University
at
NCAA Indoor Championships
Gardner Earns All-America Honor at NCAA Championships
March 09, 2019 07:39 PM | Track & Field
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Redshirt senior Madelin Gardner of the West Virginia University track and field team earned a ninth-place finish in the women's pole vault at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships, in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday evening.
Gardner recorded a mark of 4.26 meters (13 feet, 11.75 inches) at the Birmingham CrossPlex, garnering All-America Second Team honors.
The Williamstown, West Virginia, native cleared marks of 4.16 meters (13 feet, 7.75 inches) and 4.26 meters before failing to clear 4.36 meters (14 feet, 3.5 inches). The performance marked Gardner's third career All-America accolade, and it matched her ninth-place finish in the pole vault at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships.
"This has been the most consistent and absolute best season of Maddy's career," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "She was All-Big 12 and earned her third All-America award, but still the end of this meet was bittersweet. She came to Birmingham and vaulted very well and did everything in her power to be the best she could be. We just need to figure out how to get her over a couple more bars. She's certainly capable of it; she knows it, and we know it. Hopefully, when we leave Texas in June (for the NCAA Outdoor Championships), it'll be the crowning moment of her incredible West Virginia career."
Gardner became WVU's first back-to-back NCAA Indoor Championships qualifier since Keri Bland, Jessica O'Connell and Chelsea Carrier in 2010-11. Additionally, she became the Mountaineers' 15th women's track and field athlete to earn at least three All-America honors and the first since Amy Cashin (2013-18).
Gardner registered five wins during the 2018-19 indoor season, including three by facility-record marks. She also broke her own indoor school record in the pole vault with a mark of 4.38 meters (14 feet, 4.5 inches) at the Penn State Tune-Up, on Feb. 16, in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Next up, the Mountaineers open the 2019 outdoor campaign at the 49er Classic, from March 14-16, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Gardner recorded a mark of 4.26 meters (13 feet, 11.75 inches) at the Birmingham CrossPlex, garnering All-America Second Team honors.
The Williamstown, West Virginia, native cleared marks of 4.16 meters (13 feet, 7.75 inches) and 4.26 meters before failing to clear 4.36 meters (14 feet, 3.5 inches). The performance marked Gardner's third career All-America accolade, and it matched her ninth-place finish in the pole vault at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships.
"This has been the most consistent and absolute best season of Maddy's career," WVU coach Sean Cleary said. "She was All-Big 12 and earned her third All-America award, but still the end of this meet was bittersweet. She came to Birmingham and vaulted very well and did everything in her power to be the best she could be. We just need to figure out how to get her over a couple more bars. She's certainly capable of it; she knows it, and we know it. Hopefully, when we leave Texas in June (for the NCAA Outdoor Championships), it'll be the crowning moment of her incredible West Virginia career."
Gardner became WVU's first back-to-back NCAA Indoor Championships qualifier since Keri Bland, Jessica O'Connell and Chelsea Carrier in 2010-11. Additionally, she became the Mountaineers' 15th women's track and field athlete to earn at least three All-America honors and the first since Amy Cashin (2013-18).
Gardner registered five wins during the 2018-19 indoor season, including three by facility-record marks. She also broke her own indoor school record in the pole vault with a mark of 4.38 meters (14 feet, 4.5 inches) at the Penn State Tune-Up, on Feb. 16, in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Next up, the Mountaineers open the 2019 outdoor campaign at the 49er Classic, from March 14-16, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
For more information on the Mountaineers, visit WVUsports.com and follow WVUXCTF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track & Field
Pole Vault
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