The 6-foot, 165-pound junior won the Class 5A individual title in the pole vault this past season, clearing 17 feet, one inch to set a new meet record. At the mid-season Shawnee Mission North Relays, Barkdull cleared a career-best 17-6.25 to win the event and set a new state record. That mark ranked No. 2 nationally among prep boys in 2023. He set the state meet record by successfully negotiating over 17-1. He also won gold at Nike Outdoor Nationals this spring with a clearance of 16-11.5.
Barkdull has maintained a weighted 4.11 GPA in the classroom. He will begin his senior year of high school this fall.
Barkdull has donated his time locally by serving on the Andover Central Athletics Advisory Leadership Committee.
