South Alabama pole vaulter Kyle Rademeyer won the 2023 NCAA championship on Wednesday night in Austin, Texas.

Rademeyer cleared his only attempt at 5.70 meter (18 feet, 8.25 inches) to win the event. He later unsuccessfully attempted 5.85 meters, but had already clinched the title ahead of Akron’s Hunter Garretson.

Rademeyer, a junior from Paarl, South Africa, finished seventh in his event at the NCAA East Regional to qualify for nationals. He was an All-American in 2022, finishing eighth in the pole vault at the NCAA meet.

Rademeyer is South Alabama’s third-ever national champion in any sport. The late David Kimani won the NCAA cross country championship in 1999 and 3,000- and 5,000-meter indoor titles in 2000, while Vincent Rono won the national title in the 1,500 meters in 2006.