Hinkin's got the key to the vault

Jason Hinkin went to Indianapolis to improve on his personal best of 18-4.

"If I didn't jump higher than I ever have before," Hinkin said. "I would have been completely disappointed."

Not only did Hinkin add 2-1/2 inches to his loftiest achievement, he took the NCAA Indoor pole vault championship. Hinkin's leap of 18 feet 6-1/2 inches is the new Cal State Long Beach record, eclipsing the mark he set Feb. 1 in Northridge. Saturday marked the third time this season Hinkin has shattered the school record.

"I went out there with the top vaulters in the nation," Hinkin said, "and I knew I'd beat them."

Hinkin is the fourth NCAA champion CSULB has produced. Fellow pole vaulter Don Baird won in 1977. John Rambo and Dwight Stones won high jump titles in 1964 and 1977, respectively.

Baird is the last man to hold the CSULB record, and Hinkin expressed a great deal of respect for his accomplishment.

"I'd like to meet him," Hinkin said. "I'd like to thank him for putting the record so high ...."

CSULB track and field coach Andy Sythe called Hinkin's performance Saturday "just below world-elite level," but not really surprising.

"I had very few doubts that Jason would do anything but win," Sythe said.

Sythe said he believes Hinkin performs better when the competition is at its fiercest.

"I was rooting for the competition to jump higher," Sythe said. "I knew that would push Jason higher."

Minnesota's Tye Harvey and Jacob Davis of Texas each cleared an impressive18 feet 2 1/2", but could not equal Hinkin's effort, which tied the eighth-best indoor mark ever posted.

The meet was just the fourth indoor competition of Hinkin's career.

Also representing CSULB in Indianapolis were high jumper Kristy Kierulff and sprinter Lewis Young. Kierulff failed to qualify, and Young finished thirteenth in the 400 meters.

Hinkin will participate in the NCAA Outdoor Championships and the USATF Mobil Championships in June. He also plans to compete in Europe this summer.

For the next three weekends, CSULB will be involved in major Southern California track meets.

This weekend, the 49ers host the Collegiate Classic at the CSULB track. Next weekend, the Long Beach Invitational will take place here.

March 29, the 49ers will compete with USC, LSU, Iowa and Air Force in the USC Quadrangular. Sythe calls the latter "some of the best track you'll see on the west coast."

Saturday, Hinkin took a late attempt at 19-2, which would have been an NCAA record, but that height proved to be beyond his reach.

For now.