For the first time since 2018, three high school competitors all achieve 17-foot clearances at the same event, with Harland becoming just the fourth junior to clear at least 17-6 (5.33m) indoors to match Wicker in Albuquerque; New Mexico commit Harris wins long jump and triple jump, as does Ford

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – There is something about late-night pole vaulting at the Albuquerque Convention Center that is gaining a remarkable reputation for showcasing some of the sport’s most memorable matchups on the runway.

Dyson Wicker, Caelan Harland and Bryce Barkdull added another chapter to that growing legacy Saturday at the New Mexico Lobo High School Classic presented by Garmin.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Less than a year after the opening night of the NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships concluded in Albuquerque with a spectacular showdown involving Princeton’s Sondre Guttormsen and Texas Tech’s Zach Bradford that produced the only collegiate matchup in history with a pair of athletes both clearing at least 19 feet, 4.75 inches (5.91m), three of the top prep pole vaulters in the country entertained an intimate, but inspired crowd Saturday at the Convention Center.

For the first time since 2018, a trio of high school athletes all cleared at least 17 feet in the same competition, with Harland and Wicker both taking three attempts at the rarefied air of 18 feet more than an hour after the final event on the track had concluded.

Harland, representing Macon High in Missouri and Just Vault, became just the fourth junior to achieve a 17-6 (5.33m) indoor clearance, matching the performance from the Nebraska-bound Wicker – a senior at Rockwall Heath High competing for Texas Express – who also cleared the height for the first time in his career.

Barkdull, a Kansas commit from Andover Central representing Shocker Track Club, entered the meet as the national prep leader this season at 17-6.50 (5.35m). Despite using poles he borrowed from the University of New Mexico, he still cleared 17 feet (5.18m) in his final tuneup before competing in New York at the 116th Millrose Games and in Idaho at the Simplot Games in the next two weeks.

Barkdull, Harland and Wicker are among the 22 competitors who have cleared at least 17-6 indoors in U.S. prep history. The last time that an event had three athletes all produce 17-foot clearances was the 2018 UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit in Reno with Guttormsen, Bradford and KC Lightfoot.

Harland’s performance Saturday surpassed the Missouri junior indoor all-time mark of 17-4.25 (5.29m) achieved in 2017 by Lightfoot, a graduate of Lee’s Summit.

Only four high school vaulters have achieved an 18-foot indoor clearance, with all three athletes even more motivated to join Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, Maddox Hamm, Bradford and Guttormsen in the next five weeks following the competition in Albuquerque.

Cameron Miller, a New Mexico commit from Allen High in Texas, also ruled the runway, sweeping the horizontal jumps at his future collegiate home facility.

Miller won the long jump with a leap of 22-9 (6.93m) and the triple jump with a mark of 47-8.50 (14.54m), in addition to finishing fourth in the 200 meters in 22.26.

Faizah Ford of Battle Ground High in Washington was also victorious in the girls long jump and triple jump.

Ford prevailed in the long jump at 17-8.50 (5.39m) and the triple jump with a 35-11 (10.94m) effort, along with placing fifth in the 60-meter dash in 8.18 seconds.

Ja’Shaun Lloyd, a junior at Corsicana High in Texas representing Team All-Stars, won the boys 60-meter hurdles in 8.04 seconds and triumphed in his section of the 200 in 21.955 seconds.

Melaki Guttierez of Los Alamos High in New Mexico also won his 200 section in 21.955, as well as taking third in the 60-meter dash in 6.96. Tanner Montano of La Cueva High in New Mexico won the boys 60 in 6.91.

Jaiya Daniels, also representing Los Alamos, triumphed in the girls 60 in 7.77 and finished second in the long jump with a leap of 17-5 (5.30m).

Gianna Rahmer, an eighth-grader at Eldorado High in New Mexico representing the ABQ Duchesses, won the girls 1,600 in 5:11.15, a 32-seconds improvement from her performance at the meet last year.

Emily Orr from El Paso Franklin High in Texas placed second in 5:14.66.

Fifth-grader Isla Rahmer, Gianna’s sister also competing for the ABQ Duchesses, won her 1,600 section in 5:44.35 and finished 11th overall. Isla Rahmer also ran the 60-meter dash in 9.18.

The Rahmer sisters closed out the track schedule both competing in the 4x400 relay. Gianna helped ABQ Duchesses triumph in 4:33.91, with Isla contributing to the ABQ Pacemakers finishing fourth in 4:40.77.

Berklie Ahlander from Palo Verde High in Nevada won the girls 60-meter hurdles in 9.28, along with securing second in the 200 in 26.48 and earning sixth in the 60 in 8.23.

Syana Sanchez from Los Alamos won the girls 200 in 25.80.

Ariella Rogahn-Press from Bosque High in New Mexico clocked 1:00.12 to win the girls 400, in addition to taking fifth in the 200 in 27.26 and ninth in the 60 in 8.41.

Antonio Munoz of Moriarty High in New Mexico prevailed in the boys 400 in 49.73. He also contributed to the team of Lickety Banana Split winning the 4x400 in 3:28.78.

Corbin Coombs from Organ Mountain High in New Mexico clocked 4:23.16 in the boys 1,600 to hold off Juan Leal of El Paso Franklin in 4:24.10.

Lilly Nichols from Broomfield High in Colorado, an Arkansas State commit, cleared 12-6 (3.81m) to win the girls pole vault.

Karissa Loudermilk from Piedra Vista High in New Mexico achieved a 5-2 (1.57m) clearance to triumph in the girls high jump.

Ralph Cullors IV, a freshman at DeSoto High in Texas representing Team All-Stars, was one of three athletes to clear 5-10 (1.77m) in the high jump, emerging victorious based on fewer attempts.

Yiovani Orrantia of Dalhart High in Texas secured the win in the boys shot put with a 40-4.25 (12.30m) effort.

Mikayla Calabaza from Pojoaque Valley in New Mexico prevailed in the girls shot put with a mark of 35-3 (10.74m).