Strong but inconsistent tailwinds bedeviled the vault, creating a varied narrative for what on paper was a lackluster competition. Consider Brad Walker, who said of career title No. 5, “It was a little bit harder today to jump than I thought it was going to be. It was a good wind, but it was hard to gauge.” Indeed, he had only a single clearance, at 18-2½ (5.55), before his eventual clincher at 18-6½ (5.65). And even then, it wasn’t over.He had to watch two others go out at 18-8¼(5. 70) before he could celebrate. His attempts to clear 19-¼ (5.80) fell short. Runner-up Jeremy Scott liked the wind: “Great conditions, it really was, it certainly helped me out,” as he produced a solid session, clearing the same 18-6½ as Walker before going out at 18-8¼. The battle for 3rd came down to Jack Whitt and the surprising duo of Jeff Coover and Dustin DeLeo. Whitt survived a couple of third-attempt clearances before nailing 18-4½ on his first. Coover got that 18-4½ on his second, relegating him to 4th. DeLeo opened eyes: after staying alive with a third-try make at 18-4½, itself a PR, he passed 18-6½, a mark that would have clinched a team berth. He went out at 18-8¼, and the team was set. “I made the team,” said the veteran Walker,32. “I’m relieved that I did, but not so pumped about it. I would have liked to have gotten the next bar and taken shots at 6 meters [19-8½].” /Jeff Hollobaugh/
