👟 Bradford Sets Meet and Facility Records at Washburn Rust Buster

TOPEKA, Kan. – University of Kansas junior Zach Bradford continued his record-setting ways on, breaking the meet and facility records in the men’s pole vault at the Washburn Rust Buster in Topeka, Kansas on Saturday.

One day after setting the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular meet record and Anschutz Pavilion facility record, Bradford set the Washburn Rust Buster meet record and the Washburn Athletic Facility record by jumping 5.65m (18-06.5 ft.).

Bradford’s afternoon started at 5.45m (17-10.5 ft.), which he cleared easily on his first attempt. Bradford chose to pass the next bar, before clearing 5.65m (18-6.5 ft.) on his first attempt to break the meet and facility record.

With the bar at 5.72m (18-9.25 ft.), Bradford missed out on all three attempts.

Along with Bradford, Kansas freshman Clayton Simms had a productive afternoon, clearing a personal best 5.45m (17-10.5 ft.), which also set the meet record, until Bradford improved the mark. Kansas’ Andrew Saloga finished third by clearing 4.95m (16-2.75 ft.), followed by freshman Jake Freidel in fifth (4.75m (15-7 ft.)) and Bradey Koolen in sixth (4.60m (15-1 ft.)).

In the women’s pole vault, the Jayhawks occupied the top five finishes in the event, led by junior Samantha Van Hoecke who cleared a meet record 4.05m (13-3.5 ft.). Sophomore Taylor Starkey finished second by clearing 3.85m (12-7.5 ft.), followed by Gabby Hoke and Avery Brooks in third (3.75m (12-3.5 ft.)) and Khristen Bryant in fifth (3.65m (11-11.75 ft.)).

The Jayhawks will be back in action on January 21-23 when they travel to Manhattan, Kansas to compete in the DeLoss Dodds Invitational. The Jayhawks will then close out its indoor home slate with the Jayhawk Classic on January 28.