Urbine Pole Vaults Her Way to Eugene

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Liberty freshman Katie Urbine stole the show on day three of the NCAA Division I East First Rounds meet, Friday at the UK Track & Field Complex. She pole vaulted a personal-best and Liberty freshman record 14-1.25, punching her ticket to the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Urbine becomes Liberty's fourth Eugene qualifier thus far, joining Paola Bueno (women's hammer), John Hicks (men's hammer) and Ben Shughart (men's javelin). All four will be making their first NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships debut.

Urbine needed all three attempts to clear both 12-11.5 and 13-9.25, the latter effort equaling her previous personal best. Due to her number of misses, the native of Quarryville, Pa., was on the outside looking in and needed to join the 14-foot club to move on to Oregon.

Urbine successfully made it over 14-1.25 on her very first try. That sealed her national qualification, as only eight of the 48 competitors found success at that lofty height.

Urbine becomes Liberty's first women's pole vaulter to reach the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships since program record holder Andrea Wildrick finished as the national runner-up in 2002.

If the bar had been raised one more time on Friday, it would have reached 14-3.25, which is Wildrick's program record mark from the 2002 USATF Championships. Instead, Urbine's next pole vault attempt will come at Hayward Field on June 6 at 9 p.m. Eastern.

The 2002 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships also marked the last time a Liberty women's freshman advanced to the national meet. That year, freshman Danielle McNaney made her first of three NCAA appearances in the heptathlon.

Urbine will be part of a youthful women's pole vault field in Eugene, as seven of the 24 qualifiers are freshmen.

For the third year in a row, three Liberty Flames threw the men's discus at this meet. Christian Hicks paced the trio on Friday with a 28^th-place finish at 173-3. He was followed by Beau Backes (30^th, 171-7) and Desmond Coleman (34^th, 170-5).

The first Flame ever to compete in the men's 100 quarterfinal round at this meet, Omari Lewis clocked a wind-legal 10.20 to place 18^th overall.

Kyle Harkabus wrapped up the outdoor track & field chapter of his collegiate career with a 22^nd-place finish in the men's 1,500 quarterfinals. The senior closed his final lap in 54.06 seconds, finishing with a time of 3:47.05 in a tactical contest.

Freshman Edwin Kiprop finished off the evening with a 22^nd-place showing of his own in the men's 5K semifinals. His official time was 14:13.19 in just the fifth 5K of the Kenya native's collegiate career.

Women's NCAA Division I National Qualifiers
Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 14-1.25

Women's Day 3 Record Breakers
Liberty Freshman Record – Katie Urbine – Pole Vault – 14-1.25
Previous Record: 13-9.25 by Urbine at the Florida Relays on March 29

Day 3 Updates to Liberty's All-Time Women's Top 10 List
No. 2 – Pole Vault – Katie Urbine – 14-1.25

Up Next
The meet will conclude with a full day of women's competition on Saturday. First up for the Lady Flames will be Megan Mann in the women's discus at 1 p.m.

Schedule

Urbine Pole Vaults Her Way to Eugene

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Players Mentioned

Beau Backes

Paola Bueno

Desmond Coleman

Kyle Harkabus

Christian Hicks

John Hicks

Edwin Kiprop

Omari Lewis

Megan Mann

Ben Shughart

Katie Urbine