Indiana State University Newsroom

Former Indiana State athlete Kylie Hutson continued to add to her resume in the pole vault on Sunday at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships as she won the competition by clearing a personal best 15'-3" (4.65 meters). The height is an American best this season and the third best in the world.

The four-time NCAA Champion is now a USA Champion and will compete with Team USA at the 2011 World Championships August 27-September 4 in Daegu, Korea.

Another former Sycamore, Erica Moore, ran a personal best 2:00.17 in the finals of the women's 800 meters to finish sixth overall against some of the best middle distance runners in the world.

Also today, Indiana State junior Major Clay, who has been battling tendinitis the past month, placed 16 th in the men's high jump by clearing 7'-0.50" (2.15 meters).

"Kylie did an amazing job today," Angie Martin, Indiana State women's track & field coach, said. "As usual in big meets she kept her focus and jumped very well to earn his spot on the world championship team."

Hutson cleared the winning height on her first attempt and did not have any misses until she attempted 15'-7" (4.74 meters). Jennifer Suhr finished in second by clearing 15'-1" (4.60 meters) with Lacy Janson third at 14'-9" (4.50 meters).

Hutson won four straight NCAA Championships as a Sycamore and was a five-time All-American. She holds the Indiana State and Missouri Valley Conference records in the event. She jumped a personal best 15'-5" (4.70 meters) during the 2011 Vault at the Mall which was a part of the Drake Relays.

Suhr has been the top ranked American pole vaulter since 2006, winning a total of 10 US. national championships. She set the American outdoor record of 16'-1.5" (4.92 meters) in winning the US Olympic Trials in 2008. She went on to win a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics. She won her 10th national title overall at the USA Indoor Championships with an American record setting vault of 15-11.5" (4.86 meters).

Moore ran the fourth fastest 800 meters in the first round and the third fastest in the semifinals before setting a personal best in the finals. Her previous personal best was 2:01.12 which she ran at the USATF High Performance Meet at Occidental College in California in May.

The former Sycamore finished 15th in the 400 meter hurdles at the 2010 USA Outdoor Championships.

"Erica raced very well with tough competition," Martin said. "That was a very nice personal best for her."

Alysia Montano won the event with a time of 1:58.33 while Maggie Vessey was second in 1:58.86 and Alice Schmidt third in 1:59.21. All eight competitors in the event were separated by just under three seconds.

Clay cleared the opening height of 7'-0.5" (2.15 meters) but struggled to find his rhythm and finished 16th after a ninth place finish a year ago.

"The tendinitis has been a problem for the past month and he just could not overcome it," John Gartland, Indiana State assistant coach in charge of the high jumpers, said. "He has another year with us and is already looking forward to another opportunity to make the national team."

Indiana State freshman Marcel Hamilton competed in the triple jump on Saturday in one of the final events of the Junior Championships. Hamilton went 45'-7" (13.89 meters) which was three feet short of his personal best but still finished 22nd overall.

Former Sycamore Jordan Fife was also in competition on Saturday in the finals of the 3,000 meter steeplechase finishing 11th with a time of 8:48.41.

Earlier this week Indiana State freshmen Shayne Cureton, Nigel Jolly, and Kelly Steffen completed their competition in the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships with Cureton placing ninth in the long jump, Jolly 13th in the long jump, and Steffen 15th in the heptathlon.

Cureton soared 23'-5.25" (7.14 meters) on his third attempt and missing the finals by just three inches. Jolly went 22'-11" (6.98 meters) in finishing 13th out of the 24 competitors. Steffen entered the second day of the heptathlon in 19th place but quickly made up ground to finish 15th out of the 25 competitors with 4,445 points.

Juliane Masciana finished 18th in the semifinals of the women's 3,000 meter steeplechase with a time of 10:06.94 but did not advance to the finals. Masciana is a graduate student at Indiana State who has trained with the Sycamores during the indoor and outdoor season while competing for the Indiana Invaders.

HUTSON FIRST SINCE 1995

Hutson is the first Sycamore since high jumper Steve Smith to make Team USA either indoor or outdoor. Smith made the world indoor team and the Pan Am team in 1995. Holli Hyche was an alternate in 1993 but did not go.