Both teenagers make history in Berlin, along with Cohen lowering her own Israeli national record in the women’s 3,000 steeplechase to advance to championship

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis cleared 18 feet, 4.75 inches (5.61m) in the pole vault for the 16th time this year Friday, including the 13th occasion outdoors in the past five months.

Sondre Guttormsen, 19, achieved the feat for the first time in his career.

But the clearances elevated both recent high school graduates into Sunday’s finals of the European Championships in Berlin.

JOHN NEPOLITAN PHOTO GALLERY

Duplantis, a Lafayette LA graduate representing Sweden, became the youngest men’s pole vault finalist in meet history at 18 years, 273 days, one of 10 athletes to clear 18-4.75, along with France’s Renaud Lavillenie, as well as Poland’s Piotr Lisek and Pawel Wojciechowski.

Guttormsen, a Davis Senior CA graduate, became the first Norwegian to reach the final since 1962 and just the fourth in the country’s history with his first-attempt clearance at 18-4.75, improving on his own California state record and elevating him to the No. 3 all-time prep performer.

New Mexico signee Adva Cohen, a nine-time National Junior College Athletic Association champion this past year at Iowa Central Community College, lowered her own Israeli national record by 12 seconds in the 3,000-meter steeplechase to clock 9:36.13 and advance to Sunday’s final.

Cohen, 22, already made history by becoming Israel’s first participant in the women’s steeplechase at the meet.

Former University of San Francisco standout Elena Burkard, representing Germany, also qualified for the final in 9:34.63, along with fellow countrywoman and defending champion Gesa-Felicitas Krause in 9:33.51.