Angove wins pole vault at major meet in Eugene

EUGENE — Recent Bandon graduate and two-time state pole vault champion Hunter Angove added one more big title to his collection Saturday.

Angove won the Emerging Elite division of the Nike Outdoor Nationals at Hayward Field, clearing 4.73 meters (15 feet, 6 ¼ inches). It was a new best for Angove.

Angove beat 22 others in the competition, which brings together many of the top athletes from across the country. The closest finisher behind him was Will Siemens of Davis, Calif., who cleared 4.58 meters.

The field also included vaulters from Texas, Wisconsin, Illinois and Washington.

Angove nearly cleared 16 feet for the first time, nudging the bar on his final attempt. His previous best had been 15-0 ¼ at the district meet in May.

Marshfield’s Alex Garcia-Silver also competed in the event, participating in the championship division of the two-mile run.

Garcia-Silver finished 31st overall, with a new personal best time of 9 minutes and 14.44 seconds. He finished eighth in his heat.

He finished second in both the 1,500 and 3,000 at the state championships in May, also at Hayward Field.

Both Angove and Garcia-Silver helped their high school teams to the state titles this spring, two of the three won by South Coast schools. Coquille’s girls also were state champions.