THE HEAT IS ON
5/29/2025 11:28:00 PM | Track & Field
Baylor vaulters Haywood, Kuhn earn qualifying spots with clutch last attempts
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Baylor sophomore pole vaulter Molly Haywood admits that she doesn't like third attempts and desperately tries "to avoid them."
But with a return trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on the line, Haywood was down to her third and final attempt when she cleared the bar at 14 feet, 6 inches to claim the next-to-last qualifying spot out of the NCAA West Prelims Thursday night at Texas A&M's E.B. Cushing Stadium.
"It was definitely nerve-wracking," said Haywood, one of five Baylor athletes that punched their ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships that will be held June 11-14 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. "But I'm glad that I was able to take those nerves and perform under the pressure and be able to pull it out."
While Haywood will try to improve on her fifth-place showing as a freshman at last year's NCAA Outdoor meet, junior Tenly Kuhn grabbed the 12th and final qualifying spot that came down to a jump-off with Big 12 runner-up Mason Meinershagen from Kansas.
"We were definitely keeping everyone on their toes," said Kuhn, who cleared the 14-6 bar on her second attempt in the jump-off, earning a spot in next month's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"I was so grateful to get a second chance in the jump-off, because I was really not expecting that. I kept walking back over to my coach, and I was like, 'When are we going to know?' And he said, 'I don't know. We're all trying to fight and argue about it right now, because we're really not sure on anything.' I was so stressed out, because I had no idea if I was even getting the chance to jump off or not."
Part of a logjam of eight vaulters that cleared 14-2 but missed all three attempts at 14-6, Kuhn and Meinershagen were the only ones with no misses through the first three heights, earning them the two spots in the jump-off.
Kuhn had a difficult time on her first three attempts at that height, missing her plant and coming up short on the first one, running through it on the second try and then blowing "through my pole" on her final attempt. But she made up for it by clearing on her second attempt in the jump-off to join Haywood in the trip to Eugene.
"I honestly just feel so grateful for having such an amazing community around me that has made it possible for this to happen," said Kuhn, who earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at this year's NCAA Indoor Championships. "If you would have told me freshman year that this would even be in the cards for me, I would not have believed you, whatsoever.
"It's awesome (going with Haywood), because we both really fought for a spot to go to nationals. There's no question on if anyone deserves it or anything, because we both fought so hard for it. And Molly and I are close. I love her. I'm excited that her and I are going to get to experience nationals together."
Ranked third nationally coming into the meet with a career best of 15-0 ¼, Haywood passed on the first two heights and missed her first attempt at 14-2. If she had missed her third attempt at 14-6, the sophomore vaulter wouldn't have even been in the jump-off.
"Yeah, that jump was for the spot," she said. "I'm so excited. The meets in Oregon are so much fun. I'm really glad that I'm getting to go again. And then, it's going to be even better having someone else to come with me. I'm proud of both of us. It's going to be so much fun."
It was a successful Day 2 overall for Baylor, with senior Alexis Brown (22-9 ¼) and freshman Janae De Gannes (21-7 ¼) both earning top-12 qualifying spots in the long jump and sophomore Ruth Kimeli finishing 10th in the 10,000 meters semifinals in 34:21.49. Along with men's hammer thrower Igor Olaru, that gives Baylor six entrants for the NCAA Outdoor Championships through the first two days of the West NCAA Prelims.
On the track, the Bears also had three advance to the quarterfinals in their respective events. Brown ran the 10th-fastest time in the opening round of the 100 meters (11.14) and will try to add that to her national meet agenda in Saturday's quarterfinal round.
Junior sprinter Tiriah Kelley won her heat and recorded the fifth-fastest time in the 200 meters (22.76), while senior Calisha Taylor from Jamaica eased into the quarterfinals in the 400-meter hurdles with the seventh-fastest time in the field at 57.26.
Baylor's men will take center stage again on Friday, with Demario Prince in the 110-meter hurdles, Nathaniel Ezekiel in the 400 hurdles and the 4x100 and 4x400 relays all trying to earn qualifying spots for the NCAA Championships.
Baylor Bear Insider
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Baylor sophomore pole vaulter Molly Haywood admits that she doesn't like third attempts and desperately tries "to avoid them."
But with a return trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships on the line, Haywood was down to her third and final attempt when she cleared the bar at 14 feet, 6 inches to claim the next-to-last qualifying spot out of the NCAA West Prelims Thursday night at Texas A&M's E.B. Cushing Stadium.
"It was definitely nerve-wracking," said Haywood, one of five Baylor athletes that punched their ticket to the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships that will be held June 11-14 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. "But I'm glad that I was able to take those nerves and perform under the pressure and be able to pull it out."
While Haywood will try to improve on her fifth-place showing as a freshman at last year's NCAA Outdoor meet, junior Tenly Kuhn grabbed the 12th and final qualifying spot that came down to a jump-off with Big 12 runner-up Mason Meinershagen from Kansas.
"We were definitely keeping everyone on their toes," said Kuhn, who cleared the 14-6 bar on her second attempt in the jump-off, earning a spot in next month's NCAA Outdoor Championships.
"I was so grateful to get a second chance in the jump-off, because I was really not expecting that. I kept walking back over to my coach, and I was like, 'When are we going to know?' And he said, 'I don't know. We're all trying to fight and argue about it right now, because we're really not sure on anything.' I was so stressed out, because I had no idea if I was even getting the chance to jump off or not."
Part of a logjam of eight vaulters that cleared 14-2 but missed all three attempts at 14-6, Kuhn and Meinershagen were the only ones with no misses through the first three heights, earning them the two spots in the jump-off.
Kuhn had a difficult time on her first three attempts at that height, missing her plant and coming up short on the first one, running through it on the second try and then blowing "through my pole" on her final attempt. But she made up for it by clearing on her second attempt in the jump-off to join Haywood in the trip to Eugene.
"I honestly just feel so grateful for having such an amazing community around me that has made it possible for this to happen," said Kuhn, who earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at this year's NCAA Indoor Championships. "If you would have told me freshman year that this would even be in the cards for me, I would not have believed you, whatsoever.
"It's awesome (going with Haywood), because we both really fought for a spot to go to nationals. There's no question on if anyone deserves it or anything, because we both fought so hard for it. And Molly and I are close. I love her. I'm excited that her and I are going to get to experience nationals together."
Ranked third nationally coming into the meet with a career best of 15-0 ¼, Haywood passed on the first two heights and missed her first attempt at 14-2. If she had missed her third attempt at 14-6, the sophomore vaulter wouldn't have even been in the jump-off.
"Yeah, that jump was for the spot," she said. "I'm so excited. The meets in Oregon are so much fun. I'm really glad that I'm getting to go again. And then, it's going to be even better having someone else to come with me. I'm proud of both of us. It's going to be so much fun."
It was a successful Day 2 overall for Baylor, with senior Alexis Brown (22-9 ¼) and freshman Janae De Gannes (21-7 ¼) both earning top-12 qualifying spots in the long jump and sophomore Ruth Kimeli finishing 10th in the 10,000 meters semifinals in 34:21.49. Along with men's hammer thrower Igor Olaru, that gives Baylor six entrants for the NCAA Outdoor Championships through the first two days of the West NCAA Prelims.
On the track, the Bears also had three advance to the quarterfinals in their respective events. Brown ran the 10th-fastest time in the opening round of the 100 meters (11.14) and will try to add that to her national meet agenda in Saturday's quarterfinal round.
Junior sprinter Tiriah Kelley won her heat and recorded the fifth-fastest time in the 200 meters (22.76), while senior Calisha Taylor from Jamaica eased into the quarterfinals in the 400-meter hurdles with the seventh-fastest time in the field at 57.26.
Baylor's men will take center stage again on Friday, with Demario Prince in the 110-meter hurdles, Nathaniel Ezekiel in the 400 hurdles and the 4x100 and 4x400 relays all trying to earn qualifying spots for the NCAA Championships.
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