MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – Sam Blumer shattered his own school record in the pole vault and booked a spot in the 2021 NCAA East Preliminaries in the process as part of a small contingent that The Citadel sent to the Mount Olive First Chance and Multi event this past weekend.

Blumer becomes the first Bulldog to reach the preliminaries since Josiah Johnson competed in the 100m dash after reaching a height of 16-7.5 (5.07m) to claim the championship at the Mount Olive event, vaulting nearly five inches higher than his closest competitor. Devin Merrick also competed in the event, placing fourth overall after a jump of 15-5 (4.70m).

The Citadel also sent their Southern Conference champion hammer throwers to compete at Mount Olive and both claimed top-five finishes. JP Caglione improved on his own school record in the event with a throw of 189-6 (57.75m) to take third place on the men's side, and Milan Williams hit 168-11 (51.48m) on the women's side to place fifth overall.

The 2021 NCAA East Preliminaries will be hosted by North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., and are set to begin on Wednesday, May 26. Blumer will compete in the pole vault competition that same day at approximately 3:00 p.m. Of the 48 competitors, the top 12 from the event will advance to the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted in Eugene, Ore., from June 9-12.