MACOMB, Ill- The Western Illinois Track & Field Team will be represented by one athlete at the NCAA West Regionals, held on Wednesday, May 28, at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Arnie Grunert qualified for the Regional meet with a vault of 5.20 meters at the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship Meet last weekend, placing him among the top 20 Regional qualifiers. He currently ranks third in the nation with a season-best vault of 5.65 meters, achieved at the Gary Wieneke Memorial Meet on May 2.

At the OVC Championship Meet, Grunert passed on the 5.30-meter mark and attempted 5.36 meters after clearing 5.20. Although he did not clear 5.36, his decision to pass 5.30 meters positioned him within the top 20, as the 5.30-meter mark was used for qualification purposes. The Regional qualifying standard for the pole vault was 5.16 meters, with 5.65 meters being the highest vault in the West Region during the Championship Meets.

The top 12 finishers in the pole vault at the West Regional will advance to the NCAA National Championships in Eugene, Oregon, scheduled for June 11–14. The pole vault competition begins at 5:30 p.m. on May 28. The live stats link can be found here as well as the ESPN+ link for the evening. 

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