RESULTS

GREENSBORO, N.C. – After having to wait more than a year to compete in the NCAA Division III Championships due to the pandemic, junior Meghan Matheny of the Ithaca College women's track & field team made the most out of her opportunity at the 2021 Outdoor Championships, as she became the College's 31st student-athlete to win a national title and claim IC's 47th all-time individual national championship. Matheny was one of three competitors left in the field heading to 3.85 meters in the pole vault, and she cleared that mark on her final attempt during the opening day of the 2021 Championships at the Irwin Belk Track.
 
Matheny entered the competition as the top-seeded vaulter with a qualifying mark of 3.97 meters. Her national championship run began at 3.45 meters, where she cleared the bar with ease on the first try. She then surpassed 3.60 meters on the first attempt as the field trimmed down to 12. At 3.70 meters, Matheny was unsuccessful on her first run, but regrouped and cleared the bar on her second try.
 
Now at 3.75 meters, Matheny made quick work at that height, clearing on the first run as the competition was whittled down to six.
 
At 3.80 meters, Matheny succeeded on her third try, but now sat in second place due to total attempts at that height.
 
Now just one of three competitors remaining at 3.85 meters, Matheny and Rachel TerHaar of Chicago and Isabel Saridakis of Emory, each faced their final attempts to stay in the event. TerHaar was up first but bowed out by knocking down the bar. Matheny was up next and soared over the bar to stay alive and force Saridakis to do the same, but the vaulter from Emory could not clear.
 
After the excitement and title in hand, Matheny would attempt to set a personal best at 4.00 meters.

Matheny joins Katherine Pitman '18 as the only pole vault national champions in school history. She is the sixth track & field student-athlete to earn a national title and the 14th individual national championship in program history.