MARION, Ind. - Despite finishing second at the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships in March, Midway pole vaulter Nevaeh Brown says she felt like an underdog going into outdoor nationals.
But if her competition somehow still needed a reason to stop overlooking Brown, they got one on Wednesday.
The senior from Louisville once again took second in pole vault competition at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, topping out at 3.80 meters.
The performance gave Midway eight points as a team, which put them in a five-way tie for 29th in the final standings with competition concluded on Friday.
Only Sonya Urbanowicz of British Columbia stood between Brown and the top spot. Urbanowicz, the defending national pole vault champion, hit a top mark of 3.85 meters.
"I'm very happy with how I did," Brown said. "It was nice to go out there and prove myself again."
She got to proving herself right away, clearing her first three jumps at 3.50, 3.60 and 3.70 meters.
Brown had a brief hiccup on her first attempt at 3.75, but quickly rebounded by clearing her second, which clinched her an All-American, top-eight finish in the process.
She was then the only competitor to clear 3.80 meters, doing so on her first try. That left her alone with Urbanowicz, who had cleared her first jump at 3.70 before passing all the way to the finals.
Brown missed her first try at 3.85, before Urbanowicz cleared hers. After missing her second try, Brown passed to 3.90 meters, but had to clear on her first attempt to stay alive.
Unfortunately, she was unable to do so, though there was very little bitterness afterwards, as she still felt she closed her outdoor career on a high note.
"It's bittersweet, but I feel like I gave everything I had on every jump, and that's what it's all about," she said.
Not only did Brown, who hit a mark of 3.87 at the 2024 Indoor Championships, earn a second straight runner-up finish, she also secured the fifth All-American performance of her career, making the outdoor team for the third straight season.
She has improved her height in each of the last three Outdoor Championships, topping out at 3.65 meters in 2022 and 3.70 in 2023.
Perhaps more importantly, she achieved an unprecedented level of success at Midway, becoming the first multi-time All-American in program history.
"(Her success is) huge because everyone understands the expectation is to come in and do your best," Midway coach Duane Morris said. "And that can lead you here to nationals and being an All-American. I'm just happy she's a part of our team."
Luckily, she will still be part of that team for a short while. Though her outdoor career is over, Brown still has one year of indoor eligibility left, and she believes she's in great position to make the most of it.
"I've grown a lot with this program and this school," Brown said. "After every single nationals I always learn something and I feel like I'm not done learning. And that's why I want to come back and really put a stamp on it (with a national championship).
"I'm already ready to start training again for next year."
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