Men's Pole Vault Results
Des Moines, Iowa - Sophomore Logan Cunningham tied for fourth place in the pole vault Wednesday evening at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, with a height of 5.25 meters (17-02.75) to claim a spot on the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association First-Team All-America squad.
"I came in ranked 17th so to tie for fourth exceeded my expectations a little,” Cunningham said. “I really just wanted to PR and see where that would get me. I just tried to go out there and do the best that I could."
Not only did Cunningham have to deal with nerves, but weather also posed as an unfortunate factor throughout the event.
“I was just trying to deal with the weather because we had a cross wind,” Cunningham said. “I just set out to make all my heights on my first attempt and started off well with that. Then the wind started switching and made it a little more difficult for everyone, but it was still a good meet."
Cunningham's placing was the highest individual finish for a Bobcat since 2007 when Abby Ruston placed second in the shot put and the highest men's finish since 1995 when Fredrik Makk placed fourth in the discus. Cunningham also tied pole vaulter Scott Hennig's fourth-place finish from 1991 as the best finish by any Bobcat pole vaulter in Texas State's history as a Division I institution.
Head coach Galina Bukharina closed out her Bobcat coaching career adding one more All-American to her coaching list, which now makes ten in nine years as head coach. Cunningham became just the 27th All-American in school history since Texas State moved to Division I with the first coming in 1989.
Cunningham tied his season-best height at the championships while succeeding on his first attempt at the heights of 5.0 meters (16-04.75), 5.15 meters (16-10.75) and 5.25 meters. In the next round, the bar moved up to the 5.35-meter (17-06.50) mark, but Cunningham was unable to make a successful attempt.
Washington's Scott Roth took the gold with a mark of 5.40 meters (17-08.50) while Oral Roberts' Jack Whitt took second and Brigham Young's Chris Little finished third with heights of 5.35 meters. Among the three other competitors that tied with Cunningham was Southeastern Louisiana's Kovey Simmons.
"In practice, I was jumping over 18 [feet] bungies, so I know that there is room for improvement in the future,” Cunningham said. “To take fourth doing some things wrong still was good. I still have room for improvement, so it's exciting to have two years ahead of me to get better. I wouldn't have been able to do this without the support of my friends, family and coaches. They've all been very supportive, and I wouldn't be here without them."
Cunningham concluded a stellar 2011 outdoor season that included three first-place finishes, a silver medal at the Southland Conference Championships and two honorable mention selections for SLC Men's Athlete of the Week on April 20 and April 27.
