Eugene, OR - Toby Stevenson arrived at last Saturday's Tom Moore Modesto Relays with a lifetime outdoor best in the pole vault of 18-10 1/2 (5.75). By the time he was finished vaulting, the 27-year-old Stanford grad had improved his personal best by 10 inches and become only the 9th man in history outdoors to clear the formidable 6-Meter (19-8 1/2) Barrier.

Stevenson's jump is the highest in the world since 2001, when Dmitri Markov of Australia vaulted 19-10 1/4 (6.05) to win the World Championships in Edmonton, Canada. Both Stevenson and Markov are entered in the Prefontaine Classic pole vault field on June 19th in Eugene.

Yet a third 6-Meter Man, reigning American Recordholder Jeff Hartwig, will also compete. Hartwig's lifetime best is a lofty 19-9 1/4 (6.03). The Pre Classic vault will thus have three of the nine highest performers of all-time in the event.

Additionally, the field will include Americans Derek Miles, ranked No. 5 in the world last year by Track & Field News magazine, Tim Mack, ranked No. 10 in the world, and Nick Hysong, the defending Olympic Champion.

Two athletes with Oregon connections are also entered: University of Oregon grad Piotr Buciarski of Denmark, who took second to Mack at the Osaka Grand Prix on May 8th, and, tentatively, UO freshman phenom Tommy Skipper, who vaulted 18-8 3/4 (5.71) this past indoor season to set a new school record.