Vanderlipe Earns Big West Field Athlete Of The Week Honors

3/17/2026 3:06:00 PM | Track and Field

By: Cianna Smith-Andrews, Assistant Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State graduate VJ Vanderlipe was named The Big West Men's Field Athlete of the Week on Tuesday after winning the pole vault at the Ben Brown Invitational with a personal-best clearance of 5.20 meters (17', ¾").

His winning mark currently ranks first in The Big West, first in the NCAA West Region and third nationally this outdoor season.

Vanderlipe's performance helped lead Long Beach State during competition at the two-day meet hosted by California State University, Fullerton, where the Beach recorded multiple top finishes and personal-best marks.

Long Beach State will not compete this weekend and returns to action March 27-28 when the team splits competition between meets hosted by University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles.