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Richard Stockton junior Kim Marino captured
the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Pole Vault championship at the
NCAA championships hosted by St. Lawrence University on May 23. Marino
cleared a height of 13 feet 1¾ inches to become the national champion.
The win in gave Marino her second NCAA title of the year. She also won the
pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships on March 15
to become Stockton's first-ever female NCAA champion.
Marino dominated a field of 19 competitors by posting a winning vault
which was 13 inches higher than the second place finisher. Marino also
posted the best vault in Division III this season as well as setting a new
meet record, new stadium record and new personal best. In addition to
winning her second NCAA championship, Marino also became an All-American
for the third time in her career.
Only a junior, Marino competed in her fifth NCAA Championship meet. She
previously earned All-American honors twice by virtue of her triumph at
the 2003 NCAA Indoor Championships and third-place finish at the 2002 NCAA
Indoor Championships. Marino tied for 15th place at the NCAA outdoor meet
last year and finished 14th at the 2001 outdoor championships. Last month,
Marino was named Stockton's Female Athlete of the Year.
Marino also continued a trend that had seen each of the three previous
NCAA indoor pole vault champions complete the double with a victory at the
NCAA outdoor meet. The NCAA added the women's pole vault to its
competition in 2000. Marino became the fourth straight competitor to sweep
the event at both the indoor and outdoor NCAA championships.
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