Pole Vaulters Ballard and Keul Provisionally Qualify At Oklahoma Meet
2/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field
January 20, 2001
CONTACT: Mandy B. Sciba
NORMAN, Oklahoma -- The Stephen F. Austin State University indoor track and field team was represented by six student-athletes at the Oklahoma Track Classic in Norman, Oklahoma Saturday, January 20, 2001. These six competitors included Misty Ballard, Jessica Claiborne, Adam Keul, Ayo Taylor-Dixon and Tom Swan. Misty Ballard and Adam Keul set several new records and both provisionally qualified for the NCAA championship.
Misty Ballard, a junior pole vaulter from Carlsbad, New Mexico had a successful meet as she won with a vault of 3.39M (12-10.75). This was a career high for Ballard. Ballard not only won her event, but she set a new meet record. The old Oklahoma track classic record was 12-08.00. This was a new SFA school record and a NCAA provisional qualification. With the 12-10.75 vault Ballard has clinched a spot in the Southland Conference record book. She now boasts the honor of being the best all-time pole vaulter in the SLC record book.
Adam Keul, a junior pole vaulter from Tyler, placed first with a vault of 5.41M (17-09.00). This vault landed Keul a NCAA provisional qualification and a place in the Southland Conference record book as the third best vault in SLC history. With this vault, Keul also set a new school record. He set the last school record for pole vaulting during the 1999 season with 17-03.75 at the same meet in Oklahoma.
Paul Todd, won the high jump competition for SFA for the second consecutive week with a 2.12M (6-11.50) jump. All six athletes competing in this meet landed themselves in the Southland Conference top performances lists this week.
The SFA track program will be back in action Saturday, January 27, at the Louisiana State University Invitational in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
