Randon Gray
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Randon Shawn Gray |
| Born | August 4, 2000 |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 155lb (70 kg) |
| Sport | |
| Country | USA |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event(s) | Pole vault |
| University team | University of Texas at Arlington |
| Coached by | Elizabeth Composto Schweitzer |
| Achievements and titles | |
| National finals | 2024 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships – 14th place (5.37m) |
| Personal best(s) | Indoor Pole Vault: 5.40 meters (17 ft 8.5 in); Outdoor Pole Vault: 5.50 meters (18 ft 0.5 in) |
Randon Shawn Gray (born August 4, 2000) is an American pole vaulter and a member of the United States Marine Corps Reserve. He competed for the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) Mavericks from 2019 to 2025 where he graduated with a Bachelors of Science in December 2024.
High School Career
Gray began pole vaulting at Centennial High School in Burleson, Texas. He cleared 16 feet (4.88 meters) for the first time on March 23, 2019, at the Jesuit-Sheaner 55th Annual Relays.[1] After qualifying for state at the 5A Regional Meet[2], Gray concluded his high school career by placing second at the 2019 UIL Class 5A State Championships, matching his personal best of 16 feet (4.88 meters).[3][4]
He also competed in the 100-meter dash throughout high school, recording a personal best of 10.90 seconds in 2019.[1]
College Career
Gray began his collegiate track and field career at UTA in 2019. During the 2020 indoor season, he achieved a personal best of 4.94 meters (16 ft 2.5 in) at the Texas Tech Classic, placing fifth. He also secured a victory at the Wendy's/Pittsburg State Invitational with a clearance of 4.84 meters (15 ft 10.5 in). At the Sun Belt Indoor Championships, Gray suffered a minor concussion after the crossbar fell on his head during competition. The 2020 outdoor season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 2021 season, Gray remained consistent, finishing seventh at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships with a vault of 4.91 meters (16 ft 1.25 in). He won the pole vault at both the UTA Invitational and the Sooner Invite during the outdoor season, setting a personal record of 4.95 meters (16 ft 2.75 in) at the latter.
Gray took a military leave of absence (MLOA) to complete the United States Marine Corps School of Infantry – Infantry Marine Course (IMC) from September 2021 to January 2022. Due to this, he did not compete during the 2022 indoor season.
During the 2022 outdoor season, Gray won the pole vault at the UTA Invitational with a personal best of 5.00 meters (16 ft 4.75 in) and placed fifth at the Sun Belt Outdoor Championships.
In 2023, Gray earned a bronze medal in the pole vault at the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Indoor Championships with a clearance of 4.96 meters (16 ft 3.25 in). He also placed third at the Texas Tech Open with a vault of 4.94 meters (16 ft 2.5 in).[5][6][7]
Due to injury, Gray only competed in one meet during the 2023 outdoor season.
The Division I Council granted additional eligibility to all 2019-2020 student-athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] With the extended eligibility along with Gray's redshirt seasons–due to military leave and athletic injury–he continued competing for UTA for two more years.
Breakthrough Performances and NCAA Championship (2024-2025)
Gray's 2024 season was marked by significant achievements. He won the pole vault at the WAC Indoor Championships with a breakthrough performance clearing a personal best of 5.37 meters (17 ft 7.25 in).[9] This was a 32 centimeter (1 ft 0.5 in) improvement from his previous personal best of 5.05 meters set earlier in the season.
During the outdoor season, he placed second at the WAC Outdoor Championships with a vault of 5.13 meters (16 ft 10 in). He qualified[10] for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships, where he finished 14th with a clearance of 5.37 meters (17 ft 7.25 in).[11]
In the 2025 season, Gray continued to excel. He achieved a personal best of 5.40 meters (17 ft 8.5 in) at the JD Martin Invitational. He won the pole vault at the Indoor and Outdoor WAC Championships. He secured victories at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays[12] and the Bill Schmidt Invite during the outdoor season.
Over the course of 6 years in college, Randon Gray never no-heighted (NH) at a meet.
Elite Career
In June of 2025, Gray was invited to compete as an elite vaulter at the Pole Vault in the Plaza in Naples, Florida on June 6th. He achieved second place with a clearance of 5.30 meters[13] for his first post-collegiate competition.
He then traveled to the Johnny Loaring Classic on June 15th in Windsor, ON for his first international competition. In July, he vaulted 5.20 meters[14] at Vulcan Vault in Pelham, AL and 5.40 meters (17’8.5”)[15] at Dauphin Street Vault in downtown Mobile, AL.
On July 26, 2025, Gray finished his debut elite season with a second place finish and a lifetime personal best of 5.50 meters (18 ft 0.5 in) at the Windsor Night Flight[16] back in Canada.
Statistics
Personal Bests
- Indoor Pole Vault: 5.40 meters (17 ft 8.5 in) – JD Martin Invitational, January 31, 2025
- Outdoor Pole Vault: 5.50 meters (18 ft 0.5 in) – Windsor Night Flight, July 26, 2025
Awards and Statistics
Conference Championships
- 3x WAC Champion – Pole Vault (2024 Indoor, 2025 Indoor, 2025 Outdoor)
- WAC Outdoor Runner-Up – Pole Vault (2024)
- WAC Indoor Bronze Medalist – Pole Vault (2023)
NCAA Championship Appearances
Awards
- Maverick Club Student-Athlete of the Year Winner – 2024[19]
- Maverick Club Student-Athlete of the Year Nominee – 2025[20]
Progression by Year
| Season | Best Mark |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4.94m |
| 2021 | 4.95m |
| 2022 | 5.00m |
| 2023 | 4.96m |
| 2024 | 5.37m |
| 2025 | 5.50m |
Personal Life
Military Service
In addition to his athletic career, Gray serves in the United States Marine Corps as part of the Scout Sniper platoon in H&S Company, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines.[21]
Military Awards
- National Defense Service Medal
- Certificate Of Commendation (Individual Award)
- Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Randon Gray - TX Track and Field Bio". Athletic.net. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ↑ Gosset, Brian (April 30, 2019). "Aledo junior, Legacy lead the way among Fort Worth area at boys regional track meets".
- ↑ "Track & Field, Cross Country Results, Statistics". Athletic.net. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ↑ Sutton, Charles Bryce and Samuel. "Results: 2019 UIL State Track & Field Championships". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ↑ "Randon Gray - Track & Field". University of Texas Arlington Athletics. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ↑ "TFRRS | Randon Gray – Track and Field Results & Statistics". www.tfrrs.org. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ↑ "Randon Gray - TX Track and Field Bio". Athletic.net. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ↑ "Division I Council extends eligibility for student-athletes impacted by COVID-19". NCAA.org. 2020-03-30. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ↑ Neil Beasley (2024-07-31). Randon Gray Wins WAC Indoor Pole Vault 2024 #buckem #ncaa #ncaatrackandfield #utarlington. Retrieved 2025-06-11 – via YouTube.
- ↑ "UnSaddled NCAA Track Championships Randon Gray Lucas Van Klaveren". University of Texas Arlington Athletics. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ↑ staff, Orlando Torres, The Shorthorn (2024-07-05). "UTA athletes break personal records at NCAA Outdoor Championships". The Shorthorn. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ Yum, Caleb; read, Austin American-Statesman·2 min (2025-03-28). "Texas Relays 2025: Results for Longhorns' track and field stars". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ↑ "World Athletics Pole Vault in The Plaza 2025 Results".
- ↑ "AthleticLIVE". live.xpresstiming.com. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ↑ "Home". Dauphin Street Vault. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
- ↑ "2025 Windsor Flight Night Results".
- ↑ Steffens, Don. "NCAA Men's Pole Vault — Daniel Makes Some Noise". Track & Field News. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ↑ Rodriguez, Kylie (2024-06-06). "Here Are The NCAA Track And Field Championships Results On Day 1". FloTrack. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
- ↑ "UTA Athletics Announces 2023-24 Scholar & Student-Athletes Of The Year". University of Texas Arlington Athletics. 2024-06-18. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ↑ "UTA Athletics Celebrates 2024-25 at Mav Madness Banquet". University of Texas Arlington Athletics. 2025-04-21. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
- ↑ "Randon Gray, UT Arlington Mavericks - NIL Profile - Opendorse". opendorse.com. Retrieved 2025-04-25.
External links
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