University of Washington pole vaulter Amanda Moll broke the collegiate record and won the NCAA outdoor title this week.
The achievement marks a rare sporting moment where a national record is surpassed by a sibling. By eclipsing the previous mark, Moll has established a new benchmark for collegiate athletics in the U.S.
During the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Moll cleared 15 feet 10½ inches, which is 4.80 meters [1]. This height allowed her to secure the individual championship and set a new standard for the event [2].
The victory was particularly significant because the previous record was held by her twin sister, Hana Moll [1]. Amanda surpassed Hana's mark by .01 meters, a margin of approximately 0.4 inches [3].
This performance represents the pinnacle of the collegiate season for the University of Washington program. The narrow margin of victory over the existing record highlights the high level of competition within the event and the unique familial rivalry driving the sport forward [4].
While the record was broken by a small fraction, the result officially shifts the collegiate vaulting hierarchy. The achievement places Amanda Moll at the top of the NCAA rankings as the season concludes [2].
“Amanda Moll cleared 15 feet 10½ inches, breaking the collegiate pole-vault record.”
The breaking of a record by a sibling, particularly twins, is an anomaly in high-stakes athletics. This event underscores the dominance of the Moll family in collegiate pole vaulting and suggests that the ceiling for the sport's performance is continuing to rise through internal family competition.
