Chambana Sun

Illinois pole vaulter Cody Johnston has secured his second consecutive outdoor All-America honor at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Johnston achieved a seventh-place finish with a vault of 5.53 meters (18-1 3/4) on June 11 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Johnston's accomplishment marks him as the first Illinois men's pole vaulter to earn All-America honors in back-to-back seasons since Dean Starkey did so in 1988 and 1989. This achievement also represents the program's 16th outdoor NCAA First-Team All-America honor in pole vaulting.

This event concludes an impressive sophomore season for Johnston, who became the first Big Ten Outdoor Champion vaulter from Illinois in 31 years. The last Illini man to achieve this was Darren McDonough in 1994. Johnston is now the tenth vaulter from the program to win gold in pole vaulting, contributing to Illinois' tally of thirteen individual Big Ten titles.

Johnston nearly set a new meet record at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships with a vault of 5.64 meters (18-6), but a mix-up with standards prevented it from being recognized officially.

Earlier this year, Johnston earned his first All-America honor during the NCAA Indoor Championships by finishing eighth with a personal-best clearance of 5.61 meters (18-4 3/4) last March. He is now recognized as a three-time All-American, having received two honors outdoors and one indoors.

Looking ahead, the University of Illinois women's track and field team will begin their participation in the NCAA Outdoor Championships on June 12. Their events include the semifinals for the 4x100m relay scheduled for 6:05 p.m., followed by field events starting at 6:35 p.m. Central Time. Fans can view these competitions on ESPN or through specific event coverage on ESPN+.