Olympic Trials Results | Hixson Interview
 
Three-time NCAA Division II pole vault national champion Kristen Hixson earned a berth into the finals in the same event at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Friday night (July 8) in Eugene, Ore. The GVSU alum, Hixson cleared the 4.35m bar on her first attempt, notching a qualifying spot into the pole vault finals, to be held on Sunday afternoon (July 10).
 
Hixson tied with three other competitors at the 4.35m height, earning an 11th place finish in the event, along with Morgann LeLeux, Kristen Brown, and Melinda Withrow. Before the competition began, it was believed that the top-12 finishers would advance to Sunday's finals, but with the four-way tie at 11th place, all four athletes (for a total of 14) moved on with a chance to qualify for the Olympic team.
 
The highest bar cleared during Friday's qualifying round was 4.50m by Jenn Suhr. Nine more athletes cleared 4.40m, followed by Hixson, LeLeux, Brown, and Withrow at 4.35m.
 
Hixson qualified for the Olympic Team Trials with a height of 4.65m and entered the competition ranked seventh in the field of 24 athletes. She was a seven-time United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-American at Grand Valley State.
 
The top pole vaulter in school history, Hixson won both the indoor and outdoor Division II National Championships in 2012 and won another outdoor national title in 2014, when the competition was held on GVSU's campus.
 
Sunday's finals will begin at 2:30 p.m. PDT (5:30 p.m. ET). The 2016 Olympic Games are from August 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.