Completed Event: Track and Field at Battle on the Bayou on April 3, 2026 ,
Final
Track and Field
at Battle on the Bayou
University of Oklahoma Athletics
McNamara Wins Abilene Christian Title
May 12, 2000 | Track and Field
May 12, 2000
ABILENE, Texas - University of Oklahoma sophomore Michael McNamara cleared a career-best 18-4.5 to win the pole vault title at the Abilene Christian Classic on Thursday. The vault broke the NCAA automatic qualifying mark and makes McNamara the first Sooner to automatically qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships to be held May 31-June 3 in Durham, N.C.
That vault would be the best to-date in the Big 12, heading into the final weekend of competition prior to the conference outdoor championship and third best in the country as of ranking lists done May 11. It marks McNamara's season best by more than 14 inches and is the second-best vault in Sooner history.
Teammate Michael Westlund cleared 17-9, a season and career best, to beat the NCAA provisional mark and finish fourth in the over-16 foot vaulting competition. OU volunteer coach and former Baylor vaulter, Kurt Hanna, cleared 17-9 to take third place. Both McNamara and Westlund qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.
In the under-16 feet class, Brett Corlett cleared a career-best 16-2 to finish fourth and Hal Conover was fifth with a vault of 16-2.
Lindsay Harris led the Sooner women vaulters. She cleared 10-11.75 to finish fifth. Jennifer Dobbs finished seventh with a career-best vault of 10-0.
The remainder of the Sooner team took the weekend off from competition to prepare for the Big 12 Outdoor Championships which begin next Friday in Columbia, Mo. The Big 12 runs from Friday through Sunday, May 21.
Saturday, June 13
Friday, June 12
Thursday, June 11
Wednesday, June 10
