MARIETTA, OHIO - SUNY Cortland senior Jake Zanetti (Saratoga Springs) won the national title in the pole vault during the opening day of competition at the 2009 NCAA Division III Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by Marietta College.

Zanetti shattered his own school and State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) record by clearing 16' 7.25" (5.06 meters). His previous best height was 15' 11" on two previous occasions, including two weeks ago in a meet in New York City. Zanetti was one of three competitors at the national meet, along with WIsconsin-Stout's Daniel Drewek and McMurry University's Thomas Dimitri, to record the same height. Zanetti earned the national crown, however, due to fewer total misses. A total of 17 athletes competed in the event.

On his winning vault, Zanetti brushed the bar as he went over it. The bar actually bounced up in the air, but came back down on its resting pegs and didn't fall.
 

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VIDEO CLIP OF ZANETTI'S WINNING POLE VAULT

INTERVIEW WITH ZANETTI (on YouTube, courtesy of Marietta College) (video no longer available)

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Zanetti also caught a break in that Jake Winder, the event's top seed and the indoor national champion this past winter, elected to enter the competition at 16' 7.25" and missed on all three of his attempts.

Zanetti's victory gives him the eighth national title in Cortland men's outdoor track and field history, and the first in the pole vault. In his only previous outdoor national championship meet, Zanetti earned All-America honors with a sixth-place finish as a sophomore in 2007.

Three other Red Dragons were in action during Thursday's competition, all in the 10,000-meter run. Junior Seth DuBois (Altamont/Guilderland) just mssed All-America honors with a ninth-place finish in 31:34.88. (he was initially listed in eighth place, but was actually ninth).

Senior Josh Henry (Truxton/Homer) placed 12th in the 17-runner 10,000-meter field in 31:50.29 and senior Shamus Nally (Burnt Hills/Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) finsihed 16th in 32:47.40. William Kaul of Wisconsin-Oshkosh won the race in 30:54.56.

Junior Kyle O'Brien (Monroe/Monroe-Woodbury) will be Cortland's final competitor in the men's meet when he runs in the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday. Cortland still has two women awaiting competition - senior Sarah Kimbal (Liverpool) in the pole vault Friday and junior Kristen Serikstad (Oyster Bay) in the high jump Saturday.

Championship Results