Harding's Dorian Chaigneau Wins Indoor Pole Vault National Championship

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – In 1991, Harding Hall of Famer Jimmy Sloan cleared 16 feet, 4 inches at the NAIA national championship meet in Kansas City, Missouri. He placed third in the event with the highest clearance ever by a Harding pole vaulter at a national meet.

Saturday, 30 years later, Harding freshman Dorian Chaigneau went higher. Much, much higher.

On his first attempt at 5.27 meters (17 feet, 3½ inches), Chaigneau sailed over the bar at the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships. Only one other competitor cleared the height, Tommy Ansiel of Cedarville, but neither cleared the next height, and Chaigneau won the event with fewer misses.

Chaigneau became only the fifth Harding male to win an indoor national championship, joining Tom Bateman (1966 NAIA high jump), Jim Crawford (1969 NAIA mile), Dwayne Allen (1981 NAIA 60-meter hurdles) and Daniel Kirwa (2008 NCAA II mile).

Chaigneau, a native of France, broke the Harding school record of 16-6 in the first meet of his collegiate career, clearing 16-08.75 at the Arkansas Invitational in January.

In his next meet, the UCM Invitational, Chaigneau cleared 16-10. He automatically qualified for nationals on Feb. 27 at the UIndy Last Chance meet with a height of 17-01.75.

Saturday, he went even higher, becoming Harding's first pole vault national champion indoors or outdoors. The 10 points Chaigneau earned for his first-place finish gave Harding a 25th-place finish as a team. It was Harding's best finish since placing 10th in 2009.

Chaigneau is the first national champion at Harding for second-year coach Don Hood.

**Harding Pole Vaulters at Indoor National Meets**
Name	Year	Affiliation	Height	Place
Perry Fraley	1978	NAIA	15-0	6th
Perry Fraley	1979	NAIA	15-6	5th
Mike Lynch	1979	NAIA	15-6	6th
Mike Lynch	1980	NAIA	16-3	3rd
Ed Van der Kaaij	1986	NAIA	15-0	6th
Jimmy Sloan	1989	NAIA	15-8	5th
Jimmy Sloan	1991	NAIA	16-4	3rd
Dorian Chaigneau	2021	NCAA II	17-3.50	1st

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Players Mentioned

Dorian Chaigneau: PV; 5' 7"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Dorian Chaigneau
: 5' 7"; Freshman
: PV