Swarthmore College Athletics

A multi-sport athlete at the College, Peter McGinnis '76 excelled as a pole vaulter on Swarthmore’s outdoor track & field team. During his junior year, he became Swarthmore’s first track & field All-American by placing fifth at the 1975 NCAA Championships. He set the still-existing College outdoor pole vault record of 15 feet at Penn Relays in 1976, surpassing his own mark of 14 feet, 9-inches, which he recorded at the 1975 MASCAC championships. McGinnis’ accomplishments in pole vaulting go far beyond his days as a student-athlete. He is a leading expert in the field and has been an adviser to USA Track & Field for more than 30 years, providing scientific services to elite U.S. pole vaulters and their coaches to prepare them for the Olympic Games, IAAF World Championships, and other competitions. McGinnis is a Distinguished Service Professor at SUNY Cortland and is also the pole vault coach, having mentored two NCAA pole vault champions. McGinnis and his wife, Boodie, live in Cortland, N.Y.