EUGENE, Ore. – Roberts Wesleyan University pole vault standout Brynn King is bound for Paris.

King placed third at the U.S. Olympic Trials at the University of Oregon's historic Hayward Field on Sunday to earn a trip to the Summer Olympics.

King, a native of the Woodlands, Texas, did it in dramatic fashion, clearing a career-best 4.73 meters (15-feet, 6 ¼ -inches) on her first attempt to meet the Olympic standard. Her spot on the team was not secured until 2016 Olympic silver medalist Sandi Morris missed all three of her attempts at 4.73 meters.

King joins her coach, Roberts pole vault coordinator Jenn Suhr, as an Olympian. Suhr, a 2004 Roberts graduate, is a three-time Olympian who won gold in 2012 and silver in 2008. King joins Bridget Williams and 2020 gold medalist Katie Moon on the U.S. team. The women's pole vault competition is scheduled for Aug. 5 and Aug. 7 in Paris.

King made her first attempt at 4.28 meters (14-0 ½) and passed at 4.43m (14-6 ¼) before clearing 4.53 meters (14-10 ¼) on her second attempt to advance to the final eight.

King missed her first attempt at 4.63m (15-2 ¼) before passing on her final two attempts. With three vaulters who had already met the Olympic standard clearing 4.68m (15-4 ¼) before her turn, King passed again knowing that she would need to make 4.73m in order to qualify for the Olympics, any way.   

The Olympic berth caps a record-breaking first year at Roberts for King, who transferred from Duke University. She set the NCAA Division II indoor record (4.41m), breaking a 14-year-old mark, in her first meet as a Redhawk on Dec. 1. She broke her own record seven times, including an effort of 4.65m (15-3) while becoming the first Roberts Wesleyan student-athlete to win an NCAA championship on March 8 in Pittsburg, Kans.

King was named East Coast Conference Indoor Track and Field Women's Athlete of the Year, first-team All-America, United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division II East Region Women's Field Athlete of the Year and USTFCCCA DII National Women's Field Athlete of the Year.

She picked up where she left off after her historic indoor season, setting a Division II record by clearing 4.60m (15-1) at the Redhawk Invitational on March 14, just six days after she won the indoor national championship.

King followed that up with another record-breaking performance at the Texas Relays on March 30, setting a personal, meet and NCAA Division II record by clearing 4.68m (15-4 1/4) in her home state.

She also broke a 13-year-old meet record (4.51m, 14-9 1/2) by winning the Kansas Relays on April 19. King then shattered the East Coast Conference record by four feet (15-1) on May 2.

King was named the ECC Outdoor Track and Field Female Athlete of the Year on May 17 and took first place in the 2024 adidas Atlanta City Games on May 18 with an effort of 4.54m (14-10 3/4).

King made history again five days later, winning her second NCAA Division II championship at Emporia State University. After missing on her first two attempts, King rebounded to set meet and facility records while clearing 4.60m (15-feet, 1-inch). She is the first student-athlete from the East Coast Conference to win multiple individual NCAA titles.

She was named First-Team All-America by the USTFCCCA and East Region Division II Field Athlete of the Year on June 3. She received the Jerry Flynn Award Area College Athlete of the Year Award from the Rochester Press-Radio Club on June 11.