Camille Naredo

Alyana Nicolas soars high on the way to retaining the women's pole vault title with a jump of four meters flat at the close of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac on May 4, 2025. Handout photo



Alyana Nicolas soars high on the way to retaining the women's pole vault title with a jump of four meters flat at the close of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac on May 4, 2025.

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ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships

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<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746431246612050525_Alyana Nicolas.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Alyana Nicolas soars high on the way to retaining the women&#x27;s pole vault title with a jump of four meters flat at the close of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac on May 4, 2025. Handout photo"/>Alyana Nicolas soars high on the way to retaining the women&#x27;s pole vault title with a jump of four meters flat at the close of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac on May 4, 2025. Handout photo</div>CAPAS, Tarlac -- Filipino-American athlete Alyana Nicolas underlined her status as the country&#x27;s premier female pole vaulter late Sunday night in retaining her title with a morale-boosting jump of four meters flat at the close ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at New Clark City Athletic Stadium here.With the hometown crowd egging her on and as the last woman standing, Nicolas soared high and clear of the bar on her first attempt at the height she had not reached since 2019 for a fitting finale to the meet organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association.Once she landed on her back, the pole vaulter covered her mouth with both hands in glee then stood up beaming to wave to the gallery in response to their support that inspired her to complete the feat.   Aspiring to compete in the Asian athletic championships in Gumi, South Korea at the end of the month, the athlete changed poles and raised the bar to the entry standard of 4.10 meters but, visibly spent, failed in her three tries to clear it.FILAM Sports&#x27; Amy Christensen, who gave Nicolas her greatest challenge, settled for the silver with a jump of 3.85 meters in her memorable debut of the meet backed by ICTSI Sports Foundation and CEL Logistics.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2025/5/4/robyn-brown-clinches-golden-treble-in-ictsi-ph-meet-1611">READ: Robyn Brown clinches golden treble in ICTSI PH meet</a></div>&quot;I haven&#x27;t hit (four-meter height) for so long so I am proud of myself for doing it at the right place at the right time. I haven&#x27;t jumped four meters since coming over with (former national team member) Natalie Uy in 2019 at the National Open in Ilagan, Isabela in 2019,&quot; Nicolas said.&quot;I have to thank Amy for pushing me. I know that there is still a lot left in me and I am really looking forward to the rest of the season,&quot; added the athlete with Christensen by her side.Nicolas said that with her stiffer pole and if not for the energy-sapping humid weather.&quot;I was trying for 4.10 and was pretty confident I could get it. I took a lot of jumps today so the heat took a lot out of me,&quot; she said.Although playing second fiddle to her fellow Fil-Am, Christensen was delighted just to take part in the competition. &quot;[I&#x27;m] happy for Aly (Nicolas&#x27;s nickname). We&#x27;ve been training together for most of the season so it&#x27;s been great,&quot; Christensen said.&quot;However, I&#x27;m a bit disappointed at my jumps. I didn&#x27;t jump well today,&quot; noted the San Francisco State athletic varsity standout, whose mother is from San Fernando, Pampanga.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1746431282090050525_pole vault women.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Alyana Nicolas (left) is given a warm hug by Fil-Am Amy Christensent after keeping the women&#x27;s pole vault title at the close of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac on May 4, 2025. Handout photo"/>Alyana Nicolas (left) is given a warm hug by Fil-Am Amy Christensent after keeping the women&#x27;s pole vault title at the close of the ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships at the New Clark City Athletic Stadium in Capas, Tarlac on May 4, 2025. Handout photo</div>Both Nicolas and Christensen said they would compete in the PATAFA Pole Vault Challenge organized by men&#x27;s pole vault ace Ernest John Obiena today at the Vermosa Sports Hub in Imus, Cavite. Amid the hot and humid conditions at the arena that was the site of the 2019 30th Philippine Southeast Asian Games, also stamping his class was UAAP Season 86 MVP Hussain Lorana, who broke away from the pack in the last 200 meters to win the men&#x27;s 800-meter run in a slow time of 1:51.86.But there was an upset of sorts in the men&#x27;s long jump, with national record holder and PH team mainstay Leonard Grospe, recovering from surgery from bone spurs on his left takeoff foot, winding up with the bronze  with a pedestrian jump of 2.12 meters.The jump was a far cry from his national record of 2.21 meters set in the 2023 edition of the meet backed by United Auctioneers Inc, Wireless Link, Milo, Pocari Sweat and Clark Water, Masiv Sports, EnergyA, and BCDA-New Clark City at the Philsports track oval in Pasig City.Malaysian Mohd Eizlan Dahalan copped the gold in jumping 2.16 meters and Kent Bryan Celeste silver (2.14) in the trackfest  also backed by the Philippine Sports Commission.   On the other hand, Lorana said he was pressed by fellow national team member Dhem Ai Monton in the early stages of the race before finally going full throttle to keep the gold in his hand for the third straight year.Tired from chasing Lorana, Monton faded to third (1:53.19) while fellow national teammate surged ahead to take the silver (1:52.50).&quot;Hindi ko rin na break yung personal best ko kasi po short a recovery time between the heats, semifinals and finals,&quot; explained the victor, whose top time is 1:49.45 in the event.In a two-way duel, 2019 PH SEAG gold medalist Sarah Dequinan won the women&#x27;s heptathlon with 4,441 points while FEU&#x27;s Antonette Jay Aguilon was second with 3,651 points over the seven events of the grueling event. Spectrum&#x27;s Junel Gobodia and Jessa Mae Roda won the demanding  men&#x27;s and women&#x27;s 3,000-meter steeplechase with times of 9:12.11 and 11:09.37, respectively.

Filipino-American athlete Alyana Nicolas underlined her status as the country's premier female pole vaulter.

Filipino-American athlete Alyana Nicolas underlined her status as the country's premier female pole vaulter.

Nicolas retains women's pole vault title to wrap up ICTSI PH meet in style

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Nicolas retains women's pole vault title to wrap up ICTSI PH meet in style

ABS-CBN News

Published May 05, 2025 03:51 PM PHT

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ICTSI Philippine Athletics Championships

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Amy Christensen

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