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

Samantha Van Hoecke

Position Pole Vault
Class Jr./So.
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.