FAYETTEVILLE -- Sandi Morris went high again at Saturday's Tyson Invitational, but she couldn't help but feel a little down.
Arkansas' senior pole vaulter has been so consistently good this indoor track and field season, if she doesn't break the collegiate record, there's some disappointment rather than total joy and satisfaction at winning her event.
Morris won Saturday by clearing 14 feet, 8 1/4 inches on her first attempt. She then missed three attempts at 15-7 1/4, which would have broken the collegiate record of 15-7 set earlier this season by Stephen F. Austin senior Demi Payne.
"That's kind of where the mindset is now when you're trying to break national records," Arkansas field events coach Bryan Compton said of Morris' subdued reaction. "We had plans on breaking the national record and then actually jumping a little bit higher after that."
It was the fourth time Morris has won the pole vault in five meets this season. Her lowest final mark at each meet has been 14-7 -- good enough to rank third nationally.
Morris' best mark this season is 15-3 and she went 15-1 1/2 at the Arkansas-Texas dual meet a month ago to set a collegiate record she held for a few hours before Payne went 15-2 1/4 at the Texas A&M Invitational.
The only meet Morris hasn't won this season is last week's New Mexico Classic, where she cleared 14-11 1/2 to take second behind Payne's 15-3 1/2.
"This is definitely the most solid season I've ever had," Morris said. "I'm so much more consistent than I used to be, and I've gotten to the next level.
"Now I'm trying to push it beyond the collegiate level to an elite level."
After clearing 14-8 1/4 Saturday, Morris went to directly to 15-7 1/4. Moving up 11 inches was a big jump, but Morris already had clinched the victory, and she and Compton agreed there was no need to waste energy on extra attempts.
"I didn't really want to mess around at lower bars," Morris said. "I just wanted to go for the record -- and I know it's there for me."
Morris has cleared better than 15-7 in practice.
"I've just got to put the jump together when the moment's right and it counts," she said. "Do what I do at practice and learn how to do it in three jumps instead of six to 10."
Morris' best attempt at 15-7 1/4 was her second.
"I had the height, but I just wasn't moving the pole into the pit," she said. "I just didn't put together a good enough attempt."
Compton said Morris' improvement since last year is impressive.
"Last year if we jumped 14 feet, we thought we were having a good meet," he said. "Now our opening bar is usually around 14 feet."
Sports on 02/15/2015