Harding's Dorian Chaigneau Wins Outdoor Pole Vault National Championship

ALLENDALE, Mich. – Sophomore Dorian Chaigneau became Harding's 10th men's outdoor track and field national champion Thursday, breaking his own school record with a height of 5.50 meters or 18 feet, ½ inch.
It is tied for the seventh highest pole vault clearance ever in Division II and is the highest since Bryant Wilson of Grand Valley State cleared the same height in 2009.

Chaigneau is the second Great American Conference athlete to win an individual national championship, joining Oklahoma Christian hurdler Landon Huslig.

Chaigneau was not the only Bison on the podium in the pole vault. Senior Austin Parrish set a PR by clearing 5.30 meters or 17 feet, 4¼ inches and earned All-America honors by placing fourth.

Chaigneau and Parrish both earned Second Team All-America in the pole vault in 2021. Chaigneau was also the 2021 indoor pole vault national champion.

The outdoor national championship for Chaigneau was the second ever by a Harding athlete in a field event and the first since Harding Hall of Famer Steve Celsor won the NAIA high jump in 1975.

Harding's last outdoor national champion was Hall of Famer Daniel Kirwa, who won both the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters in 2009.

Chaigneau and Parrish scored 15 team points for Harding in the event.

In the 400-meter hurdles prelims Thursday evening, Fallou Gaye broke his own school record with a time of 51.29. He finished second in his heat and qualified for Saturday's final at 3:10 p.m. Nikolasz Csokas was scratched from the 400-meter hurdles due to illness.

**Harding Men's Outdoor National Champions**
Name	Event	Year
Cliff Clark	Steeplechase	1966
Steve Celsor	High Jump	1975
Jon Murray	Marathon	1990
Jacob Rotich	10,000 meters	2004
Przemek Bobrowski	1,500 meters	2006
Julius Kosgei	10,000 meters	2006
Daniel Kirwa	10,000 meters	2008
Daniel Kirwa	10,000 meters	2009
Daniel Kirwa	5,000 meters	2009
Dorian Chaigneau	Pole Vault	2022

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Players Mentioned

Dorian Chaigneau: PV; 5' 7"; Sophomore

Nikolasz Csokas: H; 6' 4"; Sophomore

Fallou Gaye: H; 5' 10"; Sophomore

Austin Parrish: PV; 5' 11"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Dorian Chaigneau
: 5' 7"; Sophomore
: PV

Nikolasz Csokas
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: H

Fallou Gaye
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: H

Austin Parrish
: 5' 11"; Senior
: PV