BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A culmination of years of dedicated training and commitment, Rachel Baxter became an NCAA champion Friday night by winning the women's pole vault competition at the 2022 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.
Baxter earned herself the NCAA pole vault title with a clearance of 4.62 meters (15 feet, 1.75 inches). Her result on Friday also means she earns her sixth All-American honor, tied for the second most in Virginia Tech history.
History Made
Virginia Tech now has won 18 individual national championships in track & field with Baxter's victory. The graduate student from Orange, California gives the Hokies their first title since 2018 and the first pole vault NCAA title in school history. Baxter becomes one of only two women in ACC history to win the pole vault title, joining Florida State's Lacy Janson who claimed the title in 2003.
All-Time Greatness
Baxter has accomplished feats this season that no other athlete has in history. By winning her fourth-straight ACC indoor pole vault title Baxter tied the record for longest indoor championship streak in any event in conference history and became the only vaulter, men's or women's, to take home four-consecutive titles. With her winning clearance of 4.61m (15' 1.5") at the ACC Championships, she broke the conference's indoor women's pole vault record and her own school record and moved into the No. 5 spot all-time in the NCAA.
A Vaulting Dynasty
Assistant Coach Bob Phillips, who has helmed the Virginia Tech pole vaulters for 37 years, now earns his first national championship through Baxter's triumph. A Virginia Tech vaulter himself in the late 70s and early 80s, Phillips set both the indoor and outdoor school records in the vault and was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. Phillips has one of the most prolific coaching records in the sport, leading athletes to 38 ACC pole vault championships, more than any other school in the conference, and has guided 18 athletes to 53 with All-American honors.
Give for the W
Championship moments like this are not possible without the support of everyone in Hokie Nation. Make a gift to Tech's track & field program today and support the Hokies in their pursuit of sustained excellence.
