RESULTS

WAVERLY,  Iowa – Junior Katherine Pitman of the Ithaca College women's track & field team became the second national champion in a matter of hours during the first day of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, and set the national meet record in the pole vault at Wartburg College on Thursday.

Pitman cleared 4.21 meters (13 feet, 9.75 inches) to surpass the best national meet mark set in 2012 by .01 meters (1/2 inch), 4.20 meters, and re-established her own school record. She entered the competition with the top mark in the country and fourth-best all-time at 4.18 meters. It was also a Wartburg College stadium record (3.72 meters).

The Swampscott, Mass. native entered the pole vault field at 3.80 meters and was successful on her opening attempt through the first six heights (3.80 meters to 4.10 meters). Pitman skipped 4.05 meters as she was the only competitor left in the field after clearing 4.00 meters. She then passed on 4.15 and 4.20 meters to go for the DIII record. She then put her name atop the DIII record book on her third try at 4.21 meters.

Pitman is now a two-time All-American after placing second in the pole vault during the indoor season.

She becomes Ithaca's 24th student-athlete to win an individual national champion and the first in the pole vault. In all, it is the 34th individual national title at Ithaca, as fellow junior Brandy Smith repeated as national champion in the discus at approximately 5:30 p.m. today.

At the completion of the pole vault, Ithaca was first overall in team standings with 20 points.

Take a listen to Pitman's interview on ESPN Ithaca's "Between the Lines".