UNM's Caldwell Earns Second All-America Award In Collegiate Finale

by UNM Athletics

DES MOINES, Iowa -- University of New Mexico senior Robert
Caldwell capped his sensational collegiate career by
finishing sixth to earn All-America honors in the men’s
pole vault finals this evening at the NCAA Outdoor Track
and Field Championships at Drake Stadium. The Socorro,
N.M. product cleared 17' 2 3/4" (5.25m) to become the
Lobos’ first outdoor All-American in the event since 1991.
It was the second All-America award for Caldwell, who
finished tied for eighth at the 2006 NCAA Indoor
Championships.
 
Caldwell cleared the opening bar of 16' 8 3/4" (5.10m) on
his first attempt and surpassed the 17-foot mark on hi
second run. He missed, however, on all three attempts at
17' 6 1/2" (5.35m).
 
As expected, it was a hard-fought, unpredictable
competition between the 15 finalists. Clemson senior Mitch
Greeley, who was one of the favorites entering Friday,
exited without clearing a single bar. Texas freshman
Maston Wallace, however, won the event after becoming the
only man to surpass 17' 6 1/2".
 
Caldwell was one of six men to clear 17' 2 3/4", but his
two attempts at the bar caused him to slip to sixth. He
still joined Simon Arkell as the only Lobos’ to earn
outdoor All-America honors in the event and the lone UNM
vaulters to earn All-America accolades twice in their
career.
 
Earlier, through the first four events of the women’s
heptathlon competition, New Mexico junior Sandy Fortner
finished 14th with a score of 3,293 - just 66 points shy
of seventh place.
 
Fortner opened the day with a personal record time of
14.34 in the 100-meter hurdles (17th), followed by a solid
mark of 5' 5 1/2" (1.66m) in the high jump (T-12th). She
continued her climb with a toss of 42' 3 1/2" (12.89m) in
the shot put (5th), followed by a time of 25.56 in the 200
meters (18th).
 
The product of tiny Fort Sumner, N.M. resumes competition
tomorrow afternoon with the long jump, javelin and
800-meter run. Fellow junior and New Mexico product Katie
Coronado (Ruidoso, N.M.) will also be in action on
Saturday in the finals of the women’s javelin.

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