FAYETTEVILLE -- The record-setting performance that some anticipated from the women's pole vault competition didn't happen Saturday during the Arkansas Open at the Randal Tyson Track Complex, but it may be on the way.
Arkansas' Sandi Morris won a jump-off with a vault of 15 feet, 0¾ inches over former Olympian April Steiner-Bennett, while Stephen F. Austin's Demi Payne had to settle for third with a vault of 14-8¾.
Normally those are more than respectable heights, but they almost seemed pedestrian considering the standards that Payne and Morris have been setting all season in the college ranks.
Payne is the current women's collegiate indoor record holder after clearing 15-7 on Jan. 24 at the Lobo Collegiate Open in Albuquerque, N.M. Morris cleared 15-1 1/2 on Jan. 16 during a dual meet between Arkansas and Texas and briefly held the NCAA indoor record herself before Payne broke it the next day with a vault of 15-2 1/4 at the Texas A&M Track Invitational.
Both relished the opportunity to go head-to-head leading up to the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be held March 13-14 at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
"She got me this time," Payne said referring to Morris, who she bested in a head-to-head competition at a meet earlier this season. "I guess we are 1-1. I wanted to come up here to get a look at the facility and get on the runway, and I wanted to go up against Sandi because I think we bring out the best in each other."
Both had off days Saturday, with both looking like they had cleared the bar on the way up several times before knocking it off coming down. Both vaulters cleared 14-8¾ before missing three times at 15-0¾. Morris edged out Payne because Payne had one more miss at the lower height.
"It wasn't either of our best days, but we are both experimenting with different poles and the standards and getting things just right," Morris said. "There are higher jumps out there for both of us, and it's going to take a big jump -- probably a record -- to win.
"That's the third time this year I have gone over 15 feet, so that is not a bad meet by any means."
Morris had the same number of misses as Steiner-Bennett, the former Arkansas standout who finished sixth in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and the two advanced to a jump-off with Morris clearing 15-0¾.
Arkansas jumps coach Bryan Compton likened watching Morris and Payne compete against each other was like watching two heavyweight boxers feeling each other out in the early rounds.
"When we come back here for the NCAAs, you are going to have a chance to really see something special," Compton said. "If they are both on, they are going to be feeding off each other, and I think there is a good chance you will see a new record.
"They are kind of like the old days in the NBA with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson going at it."
Originally Morris had planned to take this weekend off, but those plans changed when she found out Payne would be competing at the Tyson Center.
"We are friendly and say hi to each other at the meets, but we both want to beat each other too," Morris said. "I wasn't going to pass up a chance to go up against her today. I think we will both be pushing each other to be at our best in nationals, and it should be a great competition."
Sports on 02/22/2015