John Scott Kendricks, US#2 PV, Still No.2 in Family--For Now

Going after pole vault records runs in the Kendricks Family, even when it means going after a record held by your big brother. While Oxford's John Scott Kendricks broke one record--the Missisippi state indoor record--on Saturday at the LSU High School Classic, he took a shot at yet another one--and it belongs to his older brother. 

Before Sam Kendricks won a his second world championship in Doha in 2019, the same summer he set the American Record at 19-10.75. And before Sam's  2016 Olympic broze medal in Rio de Janiero. And even before winning back-to-back NCAA championships at Ole Miss, Sam Kendricks was just a kid in Oxford, Mississippi who set the state high school record clearing 17-0.

Twelve years later, there is another Kendricks in town who is trying to do like big brother done it, and he narrowly missed an opportunity to break his brother's record in his first meet of the year.

Kendricks, currently the US#2 vaulter, won with a jump of 16-5.25 clearing the height on his first attempt. He then took three attempts at 17-00.75, which would have given him the national lead..and the family record--which is also the State of Mississippi record. 

"I won't say that I expected anything, but I came here to break the indoor Mississippi state record," Kendricks said. "It was like 16-4 and a little bit. I didn't want to no height. I'm only going to two indoor meets. It was important to me to get it at this one or the next one."



"It would have been really cool to come and break his record this early," Kendricks said. "I probably could have made it easier. I have bigger sticks in my bag, but it's the first meet. You want to take it easy. So I came out and really tried to be technical. I barely missed it. I hit it with my belly button on the way up. It happens. We have another meet to try it."

Overall, Kenricks had a great experience at the LSU High School Classic.

"It was a great competition," Kendricks said. "I've never been to LSU before, but this has to be one of the biggest meets in the nation. There were least a thousand people here. There were 31 pole vaulters, which is insane. It was a great meet. I loved it. The competition was really good, too. I haven't ever been in a meet with that many people jumping that high outside of the national championships. So it was really fun."

The last time Kendricks participated in a national championship was last summer in Greensboro, North Carolina when he won the Adidas Outdoor Nationals with a jump of 16-10.



Unlike his brother, Kendricks decided to leave town to continue his career, although he will still be in the SEC. This time next year, Kendricks will competing for the University of Arkansas . It was a decision which did not go over well with his friends in Oxford.

"All of them," Kendricks responded when asked how many of his friends gave him a hard time about the decision. "Everyone of them. They all wanted me to go to Ole Miss because they are going to Ole Miss. Yeah, I got a hard time for about three weeks after that." 

WATCH: John Scott Kendrick's vault of 16-10 to Win Adidas Outdoor Nationals!

READ MORE: John Scott Kendricks to the University of Arkansas!

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Kendricks will be headed to Fayettville on Saturday for his second and final indoor meet of the season--the Arkansas Invitational.

But, how does big brother feel about little brother creeping up on his Mississippi state record?

"He has done a lot more important things in his career than the Mississippi state record," Kendricks said with a smile. "He would be very proud if I broke it. I'm not saying that he would have been happy. Yeah, he is a World Champion so I don't think he is too concerned about his old high school record."

But the American record holder's younger brother is.

"I'd definitely like to have it," Kendricks said. "It's a good bragging point."