AKRON, Ohio – Stephen F. Austin pole vaulters Demi Payne and Cameron Meyer opened the 2015 indoor track and field season strong on Saturday night at the Akron Pole Vault Convention on campus of the University of Akron. The duo went up against some of the nation’s top collegiate and professional talent in the men’s and women’s elite pole vault competitions inside Stile Field House, and have a school record and two top 10 marks in the country to show for it.
In her first meet at SFA, senior transfer Demi Payne wasted little time breaking the program’s indoor pole vault record. She cleared 4.30m (14’ 1¼”), shattering the previous women’s mark of 4.09m (13’ 5¼”) – a record that stood for nearly 14 years.
Payne, who ranks ninth in the country according to the USTFCCCA preseason polls, owns the second highest mark in the nation after her 4.30-meter feat. She came in fourth place overall in the elite event.
Meyer also made some noise in the season opener on the men’s side. The senior cleared 5.35m (17’ 6½”) on the night, which is the sixth best mark in the country to date. He finished in sixth place out of 11 top-tier vaulters.
Akron’s Shawn Barber won the event for the men with a 5.80-meter vault while Melissa Gergel took first in the women’s competition, clearing 4.40 meters.
The full SFA track and field squad will return to action next weekend for the Texas A&M Team Invitational in College Station on Saturday, Jan. 17. Field events are slated to start at noon with running events set to begin at 12:30 p.m. from the Gilliam Indoor Track and Field Stadium at McFerrin Athletic Center.
SFA Results
Women’s Elite Pole Vault
4. Demi Payne – 4.30m/14-1.25 (School Record)
Men’s Elite Pole Vault
6. Cameron Meyer – 5.35m/17-6.50
From: http://www.sfajacks.com/sports/c-track/recaps/011015aaa.html
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