COLLEGIATE PERSONAL BEST: PV – 16-10.75 (5.15m)
COLLEGIATE RECORDS, AWARDS, AND NOTES
RECORDS:
No. 4 in school history in the indoor pole vault (16-10, 5.13m)
T-No. 5 in school history in the outdoor pole vault (16-10.75, 5.15m)
AWARDS:
1x Academic All-Big Ten (’24)
1x USTFCCCA All-Academic team (‘24)
2024 Outdoor
Season: Qualified to the NCAA East Region Prelims for the first time in his career thanks to a personal-best mark in the pole vault.
UCF Knights Invite (3/22-23): In his outdoor opener, cleared 16-4 (4.98m) to claim third place in the pole vault. Virginia Challenge (4/19-20): Finished second overall with a 16-4.75 (5.00m) mark. Jim Thorpe Invitational (5/3): At Penn State’s only home meet of the season, McGarrah showed out in a big way, setting his lifetime-best pole vault mark with a 16-10.75 (5.15m) clearance…His top mark sits fifth in school history during outdoor season…His mark also qualified him for the NCAA East Prelims. Big Ten Outdoor Championships (5/10-12): Cleared 15-11.25 (4.86m), finishing tenth in the conference. NCAA East Region Prelims (5/22-25): Finished 35th in the region with a 16-7.5 (5.07m) clearance in his first NCAA-level competition.
2024 Indoor
Season: Finished fourth in the Big Ten in the pole vault with an indoor career-best clearance…Posted four top-three finishes in the pole vault during the regular season.
Nittany Lion Challenge (1/13): Finished third in the pole vault in the 2024 opener with a 15-7 (4.75m) clearance. Penn State National Open (1/26-27): Cleared 16-0.75 (4.90m) for sixth overall. Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational (2/9-10): Placed third in the pole vault with a 15-11 (4.85m) mark. Penn State Tune-Up (2/16): Won the pole vault competition with an impressive 16-2.75 (4.95m) clearance. Big Ten Indoor Championships (2/23-24): Broke out in a big way, clearing a then-lifetime-best 16-10 (5.13m), his first five-plus-meter mark, to take fourth place in the Big Ten in the pole vault…At the time, his mark was fourth in Penn State indoor history.
2023 Outdoor
Season: Posted five top-ten finishes in pole vault competition during the 2023 outdoor season.
LSU Lloyd Willis Invitational (4/8): Finished ninth with a 15-1.5 (4.61m) clearance. Bison Outdoor Classic (4/14-16): Set a season-best clearance with a 15-7 (4.75m) effort at Bucknell, finishing eighth. Jim Thorpe Invitational (5/5): Cleared 15-1 (4.60m) in Penn State’s first and only home meet of the season.
2023 Indoor
Season: Earned five top-five finishes in the pole vault in his first collegiate indoor season…Cleared 15-7+ twice, including a lifetime PR.
Hokie Invitational (1/20-21): Posted his first 15-foot clearance, going 15-5.5 (4.71m) for a second-place finish. Music City Challenge (2/10-11): Hit his lifetime PR, a 15-9 (4.80m) clearance, for fourth place.
PRIOR TO PENN STATE
HIGH SCHOOL PRs: Pole Vault – 15-7
*Indicates school record
Competed in pole vault for four seasons at Butler Area High School...Named team captain senior year 2022 and team MVP junior year 2021...Set school record at 15'7 in the pole vault...Named PIAA All-State in 2021 and 2022.
PERSONAL
Parents are Christine and Jerry McGarrah...Has three siblings: Rachel Cellurale, Andrew Goettler and Adrianna McGarrah...Majoring in landscape management...Born in Pennsylvania.