EUGENE– Indiana State senior pole vaulter Will Staggs concluded one of the best careers for an Indiana State pole vaulter Wednesday evening, placing ninth in the pole vault at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor National Championships.
 
Staggs cleared a mark of 5.53m (18-1.75), matching a program record he set earlier in the 2025 season at Ohio State and earning Second Team All-America accolades in the process.
 
He is the only men’s pole vaulter in Indiana State program history to make multiple national championship appearances, and one of three pole vaulters in program history to reach the national championships on multiple occasions, alongside two-time All-American Nicole Hope (2012 indoor, 2013 outdoor) and four-time national champion Kylie Hutson (2008-10 indoor, 2009-10 outdoor).
 
The Indiana State indoor and outdoor pole vault record holder, Staggs cleared the opening height of 5.18m (17-0) on his second attempt before back-to-back first-attempt clearances at 5.33m (17-3.75) and 5.43m (17-9.75). His record-tying clearance of 5.53m (18-1.75) came on his second attempt.
 
Wednesday’s performance closed the book on one of the best careers in program history, with Staggs earning three NCAA National Championship appearances and a pair of top-10 national finishes in his Sycamore tenure (2024 indoor – 9th, 2025 outdoor – 9th). A five-time MVC champion and eight-time All-MVC performer in the pole vault, Staggs owns every top pole vault mark in program history (indoor and outdoor school records, indoor and outdoor facility records).
 
Staggs’ average clearance during the 2025 outdoor season was 5.41m (17-9), and he cleared marks of 5.43m (17-9.75m) in seven of Indiana State’s nine outdoor meets this season, including three clearances over the 18-foot mark (5.51m/18-1 at Louisville in April, 5.53m/18-1.75 at Ohio State in May, 5.53m/18-1.75 Wednesday at the NCAA Outdoor National Championships).