EUGENE, Ore. – Ole Miss junior Sam Kendricks successfully defended his NCAA outdoor pole vault championship on Wednesday night. His winning effort of 5.70 meters (18 feet, 81⁄4 inches) matched his 2013 outdoor championship height, when Kendricks, from Oxford, was the first Ole Miss pole vaulter to win a national championship. On Wednesday night, Kendricks cleared the winning height on his second attempt. Runner-up Shawn Barber of Akron missed all three times at the height clearing 5.65 meters (18-61⁄2) on his first try. Kendricks missed his first try at 5.65 and opted to pass on his last two tries at that height to aim higher and put more pressure on Barber. Tennessee’s Jake Blankenship finished third at 5.55 meters (18-21⁄2). As the first men’s event to finish, Kendricks’ victory gave Ole Miss at least a brief overall meet. Vaulters started at 5.10 meters (16-83⁄4) and Kendricks cleared the first three heights without a miss. He faced only one must-make vault, at 5.60 meters (18-41⁄2) after two misses, knowing that Barber had already cleared it. Kendricks is the first winner of back-to-back titles in the event since Oregon’s Tommy Skipper in 2006-07. Barber defeated Kendricks for the 2014 NCAA indoor title in March by clearing 5.75 meters (18-101⁄4). Kendricks tied for 10th in the NCAA outdoor meet as a freshman. In high school, he won three state titles at Oxford.
