Pittsburg State’s Jeff Piepenbrink nipped the facility record when he cleared 17 feet, 11⁄2 inches in the men’s pole vault Saturday during the Missouri Southern Invitational at the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center. Piepenbrink, a junior from Jasper, easily cleared 16-5 on his first attempt before his assault on the record book. “I was thinking to set it for the school record,” Piepenbrink said. “I looked at coach (Kyle Rutledge) and he said 5.22 (meters). One of the officials said, ‘You know what that means, don’t you?’ ” The previous record — 5.21 meters or 17 feet, 11⁄8 inches — was held by Rutledge, which he set in 2008. Piepenbrink cleared the bar on his third attempt. It was an automatic qualifying mark for the NCAA Division II national meet.
“It was fun to watch,” Rutledge said. “He deserved it today. After last year, you saw it in his workouts and you saw it in his dedication. It’s paying off. I’m estatic for him and I know there’s a lot more to come, a lot more to come.” more
