Grant Rivers soared to new heights after breaking the national pole vault record that had stood for more than three decades, while competing for North Carolina State at the weekend.

The Bermudian jumped 4.26 metres during the Clemson Tiger Paw, held at the Clemson University Indoor Complex, which obliterated the previous national pole vault record of 3.86 metres set by Brooke Onley in May of 1987.

Rivers, who is a senior at North Carolina State, finished 21st overall.

His record-breaking exploits capped another impressive weekend of competition for local jumpers after Jah-Nhai Perinchief achieved a personal best jump of 16.439 metres in the triple jump en route to a third-place finish at the Texas Tech Shootout.

It was Perinchief’s second straight podium display having claimed the title in the high jump at the Texas Tech Open with a new meet record of 2.12 metres the previous weekend.

Meanwhile, the number of local athletes reaching the Carifta Games qualifying standard grew to five at the weekend as Isabelle Dutranoit reached the standard in the girls 3,000 metres competing at the Boston University David Hemery Valentine Invitational.

The unattached runner covered the distance in 10mins 21.73sec to finish well within the Carifta qualifying mark of 11.15.

Runners Caitlyn Bobb, Johndell Cumberbatch and Nathan Armstrong and high jumper Amelia Othman are the other local athletes having already reached the Carifta qualifying standard in their respective sport.

The 2019 Carifta Games will be held at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in the Cayman Islands April 20 to 22.