Junior Merritt Van Meter broke the school indoor record for the pole vault on Saturday
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Tulane’s track and field team sent mostly runners to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Cherry and Silver Invitational this weekend, and it paid off in dividends as many of the student-athletes set new season and personal bests, including junior pole vaulter Merritt Van Meter’s new Tulane indoor record for the pole vault. Van Meter launched 4.27 meters (14-0) for a new personal best and a new school record. The Metairie, La., native topped the previous school record – one of her own – by four one-hundredths of a meter. Van Meter led a quartet of pole vaulters who had solid days at the Albuquerque Convention Center on Saturday. Junior Jessica Knierim and senior Joanna Lapucha tied each other with matching vaults of 3.72 meters (12-2.5), which were both good for season highs. True freshman Mary Carson Pitts – pole vaulting collegiately for just the third time – set a new personal best with a jump of 3.57 meters (11-8.5). But it was Van Meter that stood out for the Green Wave on the afternoon. The junior finished second in the event, and the jump shattered her previous season-high of 4.05 meters (13-3.5). Van Meter still owns the top pole vault mark in Conference USA. Prior to this weekend, there have only been three other student-athletes in the NCAA with better pole vault marks than Van Meter’s mark from Saturday. “I was really excited to see the way a few of our jumpers have performed this early in the season,” stated the director of Tulane track and field, Eric Peterson. “Merritt’s improvement is very significant for her. She has been working hard to make some adjustments, and as a result, she has come on early this season. She is excited about continuing to make progress from this point forward.” more
