HPU’s Miller Wins 14th Vault Title At JDL Kickoff Classic

• Senior Austin Miller won his 14th collegiate pole vault title Saturday with a mark of 4.90m (16-0.75)
• Junior vaulter Isaiah Henderson set a new collegiate PR while finishing third (4.30m, 14-1.25)
• Senior Will Narramore matched his indoor triple jump PR (14.32m, 46-11.75) while placing fifth

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Senior Austin Miller placed first in the pole vault to lead the High Point University men’s track & field team at the season-opening JDL Kickoff Classic Saturday at the JDL Fast Track.

Miller cleared the 4.90m bar (16-0.75) on his first try to win the title by a sizable margin. It marked the 14th individual pole vault title of Miller’s HPU career.

Nathan Jeffers of Charlotte placed second at 4.30m (14-1.25), but HPU junior Isaiah Henderson was right behind in third. The Newton, N.C., native cleared the 4.30m bar on his second try to set a new indoor PR.

In hurdles action, senior Dennis Crawford competed for the first time in nearly a year and finished 12th in the 60m hurdles preliminary. Crawford posted a time of 8.54 seconds.

Freshman thrower Britton Mann put together an outstanding start to his HPU career, placing fifth in the shot put with a mark of 13.56m (44-6).

On the jumps circuit, senior Will Narramore earned a fifth-place finish in the triple jump with a mark of 14.32m (46-11.75). The jump matched his indoor collegiate PR. Junior Pat Irwin was 14th with a jump of 12.54m (41-1.75).

Rounding out the HPU contingent, senior Adam Devito finished 10th in the long jump in his 2015-16 debut with a mark of 6.43m (21-1.25).

“Today was a good rust buster for our program,” head coach Mike Esposito said. “Austin using only a 5-step approach to his vault technique indicates big things are coming down the road for him. We’re very pleased with Isaiah’s performance in the vault as well, and Briton Mann put together a very nice opener in the shot put.”

After Saturday’s action, High Point takes an extended competition break before returning to JDL for the Wake Forest Invitational on January 16.