WC’s Vilvens finishes 4th at NCAA Championships for 2nd All-American honor in the high jump

Wilmington College's Brady Vilvens competed at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships Thursday afternoon in the High Jump for the second year in a row. Vilvens finished fourth with a clearance of 2.08m to be named an All-American for the second straight season.

The 2.08m clearance is the same height that won him the National Championship last year.

Vilvens (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington HS) breezed through the first four heights of 1.95m, 2.00m, 2.05m and 2.08m without a miss. He was one of just two athletes to accomplish this feat, with the other being fellow Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) competitor from Baldwin Wallace University, Christian Pfeiffer.

After only three athletes cleared 2.08m last season at nationals, nine high jumpers cleared the height this season in Myrtle Beach. Unfortunately for Vilvens, his run ended at 2.11m. He had a great second jump but was unable to clear the bar in his three attempts.

Pfeiffer, Caleb Cornelius of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and Jackson Bliey of MIT cleared 2.11m. Pfeiffer failed at 2.14m to finish third, while Cornelius cleared on his third attempt and Bliey cleared on his second to win the event while Cornelius finished second.

Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.