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Zach McWhorter (born 7 January 1999) is an American pole vaulter.[5] At the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships he placed second behind Olympic silver medalist Chris Nilsen, with a clearance of 5.86 m. This earned him a spot on the United States team at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, where he would go on to place 8th overall.[6]
 McWhorter at the 2023 World Athletics Championships | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | 7 January 1999 (25 years, 347 days old)[1] Danville, Pennsylvania[citation needed] |
| Home town | Springdale, Arkansas[2] |
| Education | |
| Height | 178 cm (5 ft 10 in)[1] |
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Pole vault |
| Coached by | Stephani Perkins[3] Rick McWhorter[4] |
| Achievements and titles | |
| National finals |
|
| Personal best | Pole vault: 5.86 m (2023) |
McWhorter has set the record for the top left-handed pole vault clearance, surpassing the previous mark of 5.80m set by Australian Olympic pole vaulter Simon Arkell.[7]
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As a prep at Har-Ber High School, McWhorter was a four-time Arkansas Activities Association state champion in the pole vault, and placed second at the New Balance Nationals Indoor championship meet.[2] In 2016, he won the USATF under-18 championships in the pole vault.[2]
McWhorter signed with the BYU Cougars track and field team, and started competing in late 2019 after his Mormon misson.[8] In September 2019, he was impaled by his pole and required 18 stitches to his groin. The incident was captured on video and posted to TikTok, where it went viral.[3]
He returned for the 2021 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships, finishing 2nd with a 5.80 m clearance which also qualified him for the 2021 United States Olympic trials.[3][9] At the trials, McWhorter cleared 5.40 m on his second attempt but could not clear 5.50 m, placing 19th and ultimately failing to make the 2021 U.S. Olympic team.[1][10]
McWhorter won his first senior national medal at the 2022 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, placing 3rd behind Chris Nilsen and KC Lightfoot – although as it was an indoor championship, only the top two were selected to represent the U.S. at the 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships.[11] He went on to finish runner-up again at the 2022 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships with a 5.70 m clearance.[12]
McWhorter's greatest achievement the following year came at the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. After clearing 5.76 m and 5.81 m each on his second attempt, he attempted 5.86 m, a new personal best, and managed to clear the bar on his third and final attempt. This earned him runner-up status behind Chris Nilsen and a spot on his first national team at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.[13] At the world championships, he finished 6th in qualification and 8th in the finals.[14]
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McWhorter grew up in Springdale, Arkansas and attended Har-Ber High School.[13] After his high school graduation in 2017, he took a hiatus from pole vaulting to embark on a two-year volunteer mission in Indonesia. He resumed his athletic journey in 2019 when he enrolled at Brigham Young University. During his tenure there, he distinguished himself as a two-time silver medalist at the NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships.[15][16] In January 2023, McWhorter commenced a master's program at Duke University and intended to compete for their track and field team. However, after just two weeks, he opted to leave the program to dedicate himself fully to pole vaulting.[17]
McWhorter is coached by his father Rick McWhorter, who was also a top-10 pole vaulter for the BYU Cougars.[4][2]
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Personal best progression
| # | Mark | Pl. | Competition | Venue | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.75 m |  | USATF Youth Championships | Lisle, IL | 29 Jun 2015 | [18] |
| 2 | 4.87 m | = | UCS Spirit Pole Vault Summit | Reno, NV | 15 Jan 2016 | [19] |
| 3 | 4.98 m | | Arkansas Activities Association Indoor State Championships | Fayetteville, AR | 5 Feb 2016 | [20] |
| 4 | 5.11 m | | New Balance Nationals Indoor | New York, NY | 11 Mar 2016 | [21] |
| 5 | 5.20 m |  | USATF Youth Indoor Championships | Staten Island, NY | 12 Mar 2016 | [22] |
| 6 | 5.76 m | | BYU Cougar Indoor Meeting #2 | Provo, UT | 5 Feb 2021 | [23] |
| 7 | 5.80 m | | NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships | Fayetteville, AR | 12 Mar 2021 | [24] |
| 8 | 5.82 m | | BYU December Invite | Provo, UT | 9 Dec 2021 | [25] |
| 9 | 5.85 m | | Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge | New York, NY | 3 Feb 2022 | [26] |
| 10 | 5.86 m | | USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships | Eugene, OR | 7 Jul 2023 | [27] |
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