John Uelses, La Salle University
Track & Field – Class of 1965
John Uelses, a graduate of La Salle University, was the first person ever to pole vault 16’ (4.88m), giving new meaning to the phrase “high flyer”. Uelses held the world record in the pole vault for a short time with his personal best of 16’ .75”, and in Feb. of 1962 his jump landed him on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He is also credited with being one of the first people ever to vault with a fiberglass pole, with it quickly becoming the standard following his record-breaking achievement. Uelses won three IC4A championships, two MAC championships, and the NCAA pole vault championship in 1964. He was inducted into the La Salle University Hall of Fame in 1987, and the U.S. National Pole Vault Hall of Fame in 2008.
John Uelses' La Salle Hall of Fame Page