Pole vault at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships

This is a list of the NCAA Division I outdoor champions in the pole vault. Measurement of the jumps was conducted in imperial distances (feet and inches) until 1975. Metrication occurred in 1976, so all subsequent championships were measured in metric distances. The women's event was introduced in 1998.

Winners

Key
A=Altitude assisted
i=indoors (1970)
Men's pole vault winners[4]
YearAthleteTeamHeight
1921Truman GardnerYale3.66 m (12 ft 0 in)
Eldon JenneWash St
Longino WelchGeorgia Tech &
Lloyd WilderWisconsin
1922John LandowskiMichigan &3.81 m (12 ft 6 in)
Allen "Brick" NorrisCalifornia
1923James BrookerMichigan &3.94 m (12 ft 11 in)
Earle McKownEmporia St
1924not held
1925Royal BouschorNorthwestern3.76 m (12 ft 4 in)
Kenneth LancasterMissouri
Earle McKownEmporia St
Philip NorthrupMichigan &
Frank PottsOklahoma
1926Paul HarringtonNotre Dame3.98 m (13 ft 12 in)
1927William DroegemullerNorthwestern3.96 m (12 ft 11+34 in)
1928Ward EdmondsStanford4.13 m (13 ft 6+12 in)
1929Ward EdmondsStanford &4.19 m (13 ft 8+34 in)
Tom WarneNorthwestern
1930Tom WarneNorthwestern4.21 m (13 ft 9+12 in)
1931William GraberSouthern Cal4.22 m (13 ft 10 in)
Verne McDermontIllinois &
Tom WarneNorthwestern
1932Bryce BeecherIndiana4.21 m (13 ft 9+12 in)
1933Matt GordyLouisiana St &4.24 m (13 ft 10+34 in)
William GraberSouthern Cal
1934Jack RandSan Diego St4.28 m (14 ft 12 in)
1935Earle MeadowsSouthern Cal &4.30 m (14 ft 1+14 in)
William SeftonSouthern Cal
1936Earle MeadowsSouthern Cal &4.31 m (14 ft 1+12 in)
William SeftonSouthern Cal
1937William SeftonSouthern Cal4.49 m (14 ft 8+34 in)
1938Loring DaySouthern Cal4.32 m (14 ft 2 in)
1939Richard GanslenColumbia4.39 m (14 ft 4+34 in)
1940Kenneth DillsSouthern Cal4.21 m (13 ft 9+12 in)
1941Harold HuntNebraska &4.32 m (14 ft 2 in)
Guinn SmithCalifornia
1942Jack DeFieldMinnesota4.29 m (14 ft 34 in)
1943Jack DeFieldMinnesota4.29 m (14 ft 34 in)
1944Phillip AndersonNotre Dame4.11 m (13 ft 6 in)
William BlackwellOberlin
Robert PhelpsIllinois &
John SchmidtOhio St
1945Robert PhelpsIllinois4.11 m (13 ft 6 in)[5]
1946Bill MooreNorthwestern4.16 m (13 ft 7+34 in)
1947Robert HartSouthern Cal4.27 m (14 ft 0 in)A
Ray MaggardUCLA
Bill MooreNorthwestern
Richmond "Boo" MorcomNew Hampshire
George RasmussenOregon &
Bob RichardsIllinois
1948Warren BatemanColorado &4.27 m (14 ft 0 in)
George RasmussenOregon
1949Bobby SmithSan Diego St4.34 m (14 ft 2+34 in)
1950Bobby SmithSan Diego St4.34 m (14 ft 2+34 in)
1951Don LazIllinois4.51 m (14 ft 9+12 in)
1952Dick ColemanIllinois4.19 m (13 ft 8+34 in)
Lyle DickeyOregon St
Dave MartindaleIdaho
Bill PriddySan Jose St &
Gordon RiddellColorado St
1953Fred BarnesFresno St4.42 m (14 ft 6 in)
1954Lawrence AndersonCalifornia &4.32 m (14 ft 2 in)
Earl PoucherFlorida
1955Don BraggVillanova4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
1956Jim GrahamOklahoma St &4.47 m (14 ft 7+34 in)
Bob GutowskiOccidental
1957Bob GutowskiOccidental4.82 m (15 ft 9+34 in)
1958Robert DavisMissouri4.37 m (14 ft 4 in)
Gene FreudenthalSouthern Cal
Jim JohnstonPurdue &
Stanley LyonsOhio St
1959Jim GrahamOklahoma St4.62 m (15 ft 1+34 in)
1960John David MartinOklahoma4.49 m (14 ft 8+34 in)
1961Jim BrewerSouthern Cal4.67 m (15 ft 3+34 in)
George DaviesOklahoma St &
Dick GearSan Jose St
1962John BelitzaMaryland4.65 m (15 ft 3 in)
Dexter ElkinsSouthern Meth
Fred HansenRice &
Don MeyersColorado
1963Brian SternbergWashington4.97 m (16 ft 3+12 in)A
1964John UelsesLa Salle4.87 m (15 ft 11+12 in)
1965Bill FosdickSouthern Cal4.79 m (15 ft 8+12 in)
1966Chuck RogersColorado4.87 m (15 ft 11+12 in)
1967Bob SeagrenSouthern Cal5.28 m (17 ft 3+34 in)A
1968Jon VaughanUCLA5.19 m (17 ft 14 in)
1969Bob SeagrenSouthern Cal5.36 m (17 ft 7 in)
1970Jan JohnsonKansas5.36 m (17 ft 7 in)i
1971Dave RobertsRice5.34 m (17 ft 6 in)
1972Dave RobertsRice5.26 m (17 ft 3 in)
1973Dave RobertsRice5.28 m (17 ft 3+34 in)
1974Ed LipscombOregon St5.26 m (17 ft 3 in)
1975Earl BellArkansas St5.51 m (18 ft 34 in)A
1976Earl BellArkansas St5.52 m (18 ft 1+14 in)
1977Earl BellArkansas St5.33 m (17 ft 5+34 in)
1978Mike TullyUCLA5.53 m (18 ft 1+12 in)
1979Paul PillaArkansas St5.29 m (17 ft 4+14 in)
1980Randy HallTexas A&M5.54 m (18 ft 2 in)
1981Dave VolzIndiana5.39 m (17 ft 8 in)
1982Dave KenworthySouthern Cal5.48 m (17 ft 11+12 in)A
1983  Felix Böhni (SUI)San Jose St5.55 m (18 ft 2+12 in)
1984Joe DialOklahoma St5.55 m (18 ft 2+12 in)
1985Joe DialOklahoma St5.64 m (18 ft 6 in)
1986Jeff PascoeArkansas5.50 m (18 ft 12 in)
1987Doug FraleyFresno St5.63 m (18 ft 5+12 in)
1988Kelly RileyArkansas St5.57 m (18 ft 3+14 in)
1989Tim McMichaelOklahoma5.65 m (18 ft 6+14 in)A
1990  István Bagyula (HUN)George Mason5.60 m (18 ft 4+14 in)
1991  István Bagyula (HUN)George Mason5.80 m (19 ft 14 in)
1992  István Bagyula (HUN)George Mason5.80 m (19 ft 14 in)
1993Mark BuseIndiana5.60 m (18 ft 4+14 in)
1994Nick HysongArizona St5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
1995Lawrence JohnsonTennessee5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
1996Lawrence JohnsonTennessee5.82 m (19 ft 1 in)
1997Clark HumphreysAuburn5.60 m (18 ft 4+14 in)
1998Toby StevensonStanford5.55 m (18 ft 2+12 in)
1999Jacob DavisTexas5.56 m (18 ft 2+34 in)
2000Russ BullerLouisiana St5.60 m (18 ft 4+14 in)
2001  Dennis Kholev (ISR)Southern Cal5.65 m (18 ft 6+14 in)
2002Brian HunterTexas5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
2003Eric EshbachNebraska5.45 m (17 ft 10+12 in)
2004Tommy SkipperOregon5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
2005  Robison Pratt (MEX)BYU5.50 m (18 ft 12 in)
2006Tommy SkipperOregon5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
2007Tommy SkipperOregon5.50 m (18 ft 12 in)
2008Maston WallaceTexas5.35 m (17 ft 6+12 in)
2009Jason ColwickRice5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
2010Jordan ScottKansas5.40 m (17 ft 8+12 in)
2011Scott RothWashington5.40 m (17 ft 8+12 in)
2012Jack WhittOral Roberts5.65 m (18 ft 6+14 in)
2013Sam KendricksMississippi5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
2014Sam KendricksMississippi5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
2015  Shawn Barber (CAN)Akron5.65 m (18 ft 6+14 in)
2016Jake BlankenshipTennessee5.60 m (18 ft 4+14 in)
2017Matthew LudwigAkron5.65 m (18 ft 6+14 in)
2018Chris NilsenSouth Dakota Coyotes5.83 m (19 ft 1+12 in)
2019Chris NilsenSouth Dakota Coyotes5.95 m (19 ft 6+14 in)
2021Branson EllisStephen F. Austin Lumberjacks5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)
2022Sondre GuttormsenPrinceton Tigers5.75 m (18 ft 10+14 in)
2023Kyle RademeyerSouth Alabama Jaguars5.70 m (18 ft 8+14 in)

^ Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References