Kansas Jayhawks
Samantha Van Hoecke - Track & Field - Kansas Jayhawks

Samantha Van Hoecke

Position Pole Vault
Class Freshman
Hometown Wellsville, Kan.
High School Paola

CAREER RESULTS

2023 OUTDOOR (Sr.)
Won at the Wichita State Shocker Spring Invitational where she vaulted 3.90m (12-9.5 ft.) … Finished fifth at the Bobcat Invitational where she cleared 3.90m (12-9.5 ft.) … Was runner up at the LSU Invitational for vaulting 3.98m (13-0.75 ft.) … Placed second at the Kansas Relays for clearing 4.17m (13-8.25 ft.) … Earned points for vaulting 3.99m (13-1 ft.) at the John McDonnell Invitational … Earned points in the pole vault at the 2023 Big 12 Outdoor Championships, placing fifth and vaulting 4.05m (13-3.5 ft).

2023 INDOOR (Sr.)
Finished second in her first meet of the season while clearing 3.67m (12-0.5 ft.) at the Bob Timmons Classic … Won at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular for vaulting 3.90m (12-9.5 ft.) … Cleared 4m (13-1.5 ft.) and placed second at the Washburn Rust Buster … Placed second again at the Jayhawk Classic for clearing 3.92m (12-10.25 ft.) … Finished eighth at the Husker Invitational for clearing 3.88m (12-8.75 ft.) … Finished eighth at the Tyson Invitational for clearing 3.83m (12-6.75 ft.) … Finished sixth at the Big 12 Indoor Championships for clearing 3.99m (13-1 ft.) … Finished fourth at the Rock Chalk Classic for vaulting 4.00m (13-1.5 ft.)

2022 OUTDOOR (Jr.)
In her outdoor debut, she cleared 3.87m (12-8.25 ft.) earning her tenth at the Michael Johnson Invitational … Finished fifth at the KSU Ward Haylett Invitational for clearing 3.60m (11-9.75 ft.) … Went on to the Big 12 Championships and cleared 4.15m (13-7.25 ft.) placing eighth … Advanced to the NVAA West Preliminary Round where she cleared 3.81m (12-6 ft.) and placed top 40.

2022 INDOOR (Jr.)
Placed second at the Bob Timmons Challenge with a pole vault height of 3.65m (11-11.75 ft.) … Won at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular for clearing 3.96m (12-11.75 ft.) … Won at the Washburn Rust Buster for clearing 4.05m (13-3.5 ft.)

2021 INDOOR (So.)
Placed first in the pole vault with a height of 4m (13-1.5 ft.) at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular … Finished first again at the Jayhawk Classic with a pole vault height of 4.15m (13-7.5 ft.) … Placed third in the pole vault at the Texas Tech Invitational with a height of 4.31m (14-1.75 ft.) … Finished eighth at the Arkansas Qualifier while clearing 3.85m (12-7.5) … Won first at the Iowa State Classic for vaulting 4.05m (13-3.5 ft.) … Went on the place second at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships for clearing 4.32m (14-2 ft.) … Recorded a personal best in the pole vault for clearing 4.36m (14-3.5 ft.) and went on the place seventh.

2020 INDOOR (So.)
Made her season debut at the Bob Timmons Challenge (12/6), jumping 3.36m (11-0.25 ft.) in the pole vault … Won the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular (1/18) by vaulting 3.80m (12-5.5 ft.) … Jumped a new personal best of 3.85m (12-7.5 ft.) at the Tyson Invitational (2/14-2/15), placing fourth overall … Went on to place 12th at the Big 12 Championship (2/28-2/29), jumping 3.75m (12-3.5 ft.).

2019 OUTDOOR (Fr.)
Notched a personal-best mark of 3.50 meters (11-5.75 ft.) to finish tied for eighth in the pole vault at the Battle on the Bayou (4/6) … Finished tied for sixth in the pole vault at the 92nd Kansas Relays (4/17-20), clearing a personal-best mark of 3.65 meters (11-11.75 ft.) … Matched her personal-best clearance of 3.65 meters (11-11.75 ft.) at the National Relay Championships (4/26-4/27).

2019 INDOOR (Fr.)
Tied for sixth in the pole vault in her collegiate debut at the Bob Timmons Challenge (11/30) with a clearance of 3.56 meters (11-8 ft.) … Finished second at the KU-KSU-WSU Triangular (1/18) with a clearance of 3.65 meters (11-11.75 ft.) … Recorded a fourth place finish in the pole vault at the Jayhawk Classic (1/25-1/26) with a personal-best mark of 3.71 meters (12-2 ft.).

HIGH SCHOOL
Earned four letters in track & field for head coach Chad Kelsey at Paola High School … Helped the Panthers to regional championships all four years of high school … Two-time 4A Kansas women’s pole vault state champion (2017, 2018) … Runner-up in the 100-meter dash at the 4A state championships in 2017 and 2018 … School record holder in the pole vault with a clearance of 13-3 ft. … USATF Junior Olympic All-American in 2017 with a sixth-place finish in the pole vault … Named Tri-County Women’s Track & Field Female Athlete of the Year in 2017 and 2018 … Also earned two letters in volleyball.

PERSONAL
Daughter of Philip and Diane Van Hoecke … Has one brother, Magnus … Plans to major in biology.