Chris Nilsen Breaks Pole Vault National High School Record!
Park Hill High School senior Chris Nilsen continued his dream season on Saturday afternoon at the Missouri Class 5, Section 4 Championship by setting a new national high school record in the pole vault with a 18-4.75 clearance. The mark was only his second career vault over 18 feet; he improved from 17-6.5 to 18 feet at his conference championship on May 3.
Nilsen will attend the University of South Dakota next year.
Watch a video of the historic vault below:
View the new U.S. all-time top 10 list below.
| MARK | ATHLETE | SCHOOL | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-4.75 | Chris Nilsen | Park Hill, MO | 2016 |
| 18-3.5 | Shawn Barber | Kingwood, TX | 2012 |
| 18-3 | Tommy Skipper | Sandy, OR | 2003 |
| 18-2.25 | Eric Eshbach | Orangefield, TX | 1999 |
| 18-2 | Brandon Richards | San Marcos, CA | 1985 |
| 18-1.25 | Joe Dial | Marlow, OK | 1981 |
| 18-0.5 | Devin King | Sumner, LA | 2014 |
| 18-0.5i | Mondo Duplantis | Lafayette, LA | 2016 |
| 18-0.25 | Jack Whitt | North, OK | 2009 |
| 18-0A | Pat Manson | Central, CO | 1986 |
A = Altitude
Feature Story: 18 Feet & Climbing: Chris Nilsen's Journey to the Pole Vault National Record