In final collegiate competition, Hoggard elevates to top of pole vault podium for Arkansas; Noennig completes another shot put sweep for Arizona State, with David, Erm and Rogers all capturing titles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

AUSTIN – Tori Hoggard wasn’t just one of the best pole vaulters without an NCAA title on her resume, the Arkansas senior was one of the elite collegiate athletes in recent history without a national championship to her credit.

Despite being one of seven competitors in Division 1 history to clear at least 14 feet, 11.50 inches (4.56m) both indoors and outdoors, Hoggard vaulted in the same era as four of the other women to achieve the same feat, including twin sister Lexi Jacobus – a four-time national champion for the Razorbacks – and two-time winner Olivia Gruver, the collegiate outdoor record holder.

But with Jacobus and fellow senior teammate Desiree Freier enduring uncharacteristic performances, resulting in them tying for ninth place, along with Gruver’s pursuit for a third consecutive title concluding with a third-place result, Hoggard found herself in a battle late Thursday night with San Diego State fifth-year senior Bonnie Draxler with both athletes in search of their first national title.

Hoggard cleared 14-11.50 on her second attempt and Draxler couldn’t duplicate the effort, resulting in Arkansas capturing its first pole vault title since Jacobus in 2016 at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships.

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Draxler, who also finished second to Jacobus at the indoor national finals in March, made 14-9.50 (4.51m) on her first attempt to put pressure on Hoggard.

But Hoggard produced an outdoor personal best by clearing 14-11.50 on her second try, with Draxler not being able to match the same height she was able to achieve during indoor season.

Hoggard’s 10 points were also crucial for Arkansas in pursuit of its first outdoor team title since 2016. The Razorbacks received a combined 21 points from Jacobus, Hoggard and Freier to capture the indoor championship in March with 62 points overall.

Gruver, who captured the past two outdoor titles representing Kentucky, was not only attempting to become the first vaulter to win championships for different schools, but also the first athlete to secure three outdoor crowns.

After making her opening three heights all on the first try, including 14-7.25 (4.45m), Gruver missed three attempts at 14-9.50. She had set the collegiate outdoor record 15-6.25 (4.73m) on March 29 at the Stanford Invitational.

Arizona State sophomore Samantha Noennig produced a personal-best 59-6.25 (18.14m) in the fifth round to not only capture the shot put championship, but sweep indoor and outdoor titles.

Noennig followed former teammate Maggie Ewen in sweeping both shot put crowns, helping Arizona State duplicate the achievement of UCLA, which had Seilala Sua and Christina Tolson sweep both shot put championships in 2000 and 2001.
Alabama senior Portious Warren took the lead with a 59-5 (18.11m) effort in the fourth round, before Noennig – who won the indoor title in March on the last attempt of the competition – secured the advantage in the following round.

Warren, who elevated to the No. 11 all-time collegiate performer with a 61-0.75 (18.61m) effort April 27 at the LSU Invitational, wasn’t able to replicate that mark in the final two rounds.

Ohio State junior Sade Olatoye finished third at 58-8 (17.88m), along with a fourth-place effort in the hammer throw at 227-7 (69.37m).

Cal sophomore Camryn Rogers secured the first hammer throw championship for the Golden Bears with a fifth-round mark of 234-7 (71.50m), elevating to the No. 7 all-time collegiate performer.

Rogers, who finished 13th at last year’s West Regionals and missed advancing to the Division 1 finals, rebounded to win the World U-20 gold medal in July in Finland.

With her performance Thursday, Rogers became the first female athlete to capture both Division 1 and World U-20 hammer throw titles. Already the Canadian U-20 and U-23 record holder, Rogers also ascended to No. 4 in her country’s history by surpassing the 70-meter barrier for the first time.

Indiana State senior Erin Reese produced four personal-best throws in her series, capped by a sixth-round effort of 233-2 (71.06m) to elevate to the No. 9 all-time collegiate performer.

Florida senior Yanis David produced the best collegiate long jump since 2015 with a fifth-round wind-legal leap of 22-5.25 (6.84m) to equal the No. 7 all-time Division 1 performer, in addition to securing the Gators’ first women’s national title in the event.

Northwestern State junior Jasmyn Steels, who captured the indoor title in March, jumped a personal-best 22-0.25 (6.71m) in the fourth round to place second.

Nevada sophomore Nicola Ader, who is scheduled to also compete in the long jump and heptathlon, finished 12th at 20-4.50 (6.21m).

Sophomore Johannes Erm produced a personal-best 8,352 points to become the first Georgia decathlete to win a national title since Maicel Uibo secured back-to-back crowns in 2014-15.

Erm, who placed third last year, ran 4:33.38 to not only win the 1,500 meters, but propel him to the Olympic standard to be eligible to compete for Estonia in 2020.

Erm’s performance was the No. 3 score in stadium history, No. 5 in championship meet history and elevated him to the No. 6 all-time collegiate performer, only four points behind Uibo’s effort 2015 effort.

Stanford senior Harrison Williams, the reigning indoor heptathlon champion, finished second with 8,010 points.