GREENSBORO, N.C. – Linfield University senior Meg Angier achieved her goal of earning All-America acclaim, placing fourth overall in the women's pole vault Thursday at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University.
 
Angier began the day in a crowded field of 19 competitors. She finished within four inches of Meghan Matheny of Ithaca College, the eventual national champion, who cleared 12 feet, 7½ inches. Matheny's mark was just one-quarter inch better than Angier's personal record of 12-7¼.
 
Angier was one of three challengers to clear 12-3½ but the senior Wildcat was awarded fourth place by virtue of fewer misses.
 
Rachel TerHaar of the University of Chicago and Isabel Saridakis of Emory each cleared 12-5½ and were awarded second and third places, respectively.
 
Angier becomes the fourth NCAA All-American from Linfield in the women's pole vault, joining graduating national champions Catherine Street (2012), Olivia McDaniel (2019), as well as eighth-place finisher Misty Corwin (2011 and 2012).
 
"I couldn't be more proud of Meg," said Wildcats coach Travis Olson. "She competed so well, especially for someone making it to nationals for the first time. We are extremely happy for her."
 
Elsewhere, Linfield decathlete Keaton Wood tallied 3,488 points move into in 10th place among 17 competitors after the five events of the men's decathlon. Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Marcus Weaver leads all decathletes with 3,848 points.
 
A fourth-place result in the 400-meter dash elevated Wood into the top-10 of the point standings after Day 1. The top eight overall finishers after all events are declared final receive All-America honors.
 
In the remaining first-day events, Wood placed ninth in the shot put (36-9¾), 10^th in the 100 dash (11.36), 12^th in the high jump (6-3¼) and 14^th in the long jump (36-9¾).
 
"Keaton did a great job hanging in there today and finished very well in the 400 which puts him back in the All-American picture," said Olson. "We are excited for (Friday)."
 
Action at the NCAA Championships resumes Friday in the decathlon starting with the 110 hurdles at 7 a.m. PDT. Later Friday, Linfield's Matt Metcalf is scheduled to compete in the men's javelin starting at 1:45 p.m. PDT. Metcalf enters the meet seeded fifth overall and will compete in the second flight.