University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Iowa Open
Erica Miner snaps the meet record for women’s pole vault
2/20/2026 8:34:00 PM | Track and Field
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Erica Miner dominated the pole vault, setting a new career best and meet record, as well as the second-highest jump in school history, clearing 13' 1 ½".
The UNI track and field team traveled south to compete in the Iowa Open, where multiple Panthers set new season and career best marks, along with two champions.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Starting the weekend for the Panthers was Erica Miner, who vaulted for 13' 1 ½", with Sydney Scott earning a third-place finish as she cleared 12' 3 ½", respectively. Jacob Yoerger and Carter Pheifer captured third and fourth-place finishes as they both cleared the height of 16' ¾". Josie Moreland and Joey Perry rounded out the podium as they leapt for 5' 5" and 5' 3", getting a second and third-place finish in the high jump. Carson Lienau (61' 1 ½") and Brylie Lorence (48' 6") both set season-best marks in the shot put, with Lienau placing second and Lorence earning third. In the weight throw, Kileigh Lachacz and Lexy Foster also set career marks, throwing for 54' 8" and 54' 6", which earned them fourth and fifth place finishes. Carter Morton and Josey Dunbar both earned third-place finishes in the long jump, with Morton leaping for 24' ¾" and Dunbar jumping for 18' 11 ¼". For the triple jump, it was Dunbar again with T.Y. Pour, where Pour (44' 3 ¼") locked down a third-place finish with Dunbar (37' 9 ½") placing fifth.
In the 800-meter, Chase Knoche locked down a first-place finish as he crossed the finish line in 1:49.83, snapping the meet record. Jake Bosch (1:52.28) and Micah Ellis (1:53.88) followed behind closely as they collected third and fourth-place finishes. Claire Wright set a new career best in the 800-meter, where she crossed the finish line in 2:14.53 for second. Carie Jo Fusco and Eden Moore ran the 400-meter dash for the Panthers, where they finished third and fifth in 57.20 and 58.21. Gabe Funk ran on the men's side for the 400-meter, where he clocked a time of 49.15 for sixth place. Jersey Jones (24.96), Giada Grimes (25.23), and Darci Wiseman (25.32) all clocked season-best times in the 200-meter dash, where they placed third, fourth, and seventh. Brooke O'brein set a new season best in the 3,000m as she clocked a time of 10:29.06. Kaylee Woolery and Micah Rees ran the mile for the Panthers, where they etched times of 4:58.46 and 4:15.46.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action at the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Indoor Championships, March 1-2 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. Live coverage of the meet can be found on ESPN+.
UNI track and field action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Track and Field), X (@UNITrackFieldXC) and on Instagram (@uni_tf_xc). Schedules and rosters, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
Players Mentioned
