EUGENE, Ore. - Ole Miss junior Sam Kendricks won his second straight NCAA outdoor pole vault on Wednesday, but it wasn't easy. 

Kendricks had a couple of clutch clearances late in the competition to overcome Akron's Shawn Barber on the first day of the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships in front of 9,165 enthusiastic fans at historic Hayward Field in Track Town USA. 

A native of Oxford, Mississippi, Kendricks becomes the first back-to-back NCAA outdoor champion for the Rebels since Savante' Stringfellow won long jump titles in 2000 and 2001. He's the first back-to-back NCAA outdoor pole vault champ since Oregon's Tommy Skipper in 2006 and 2007. 

Barber and Tennessee's Jake Blankeship were the leaders through 18-2.5, which was the last height that Blankenship cleared. Kendricks came through in a big way on his third and final attempt at 18-4.5 when he brushed the bar, but it held steady. Then Barber cleared 18-6.5 and Kendricks missed, setting up a fantastic finale that saw Kendricks jump up to 18-8.25, which Barber couldn't match.