Tommy Warne

Simply put, Tom Warne is Howard County’s most successful collegiate athlete ever.

Following an outstanding track and field career at Kokomo High School, Warne continued his excellence at Northwestern University where he captured two Big Ten and three NCAA pole vault championships.

Competing under legendary Kokomo High coach Chet Hill, Warne won IHSAA state pole vault championships in 1926 and 1927 and led the Kats to team state titles as well. In the spring of ’27 Warne competed in

Chicago where he set the world’s record vault of 12-10 1/2.

At Northwestern, Warne won Big Ten and NCAA championships as a sophomore. A year later, he won the NCAA title again, before touring Europe, where he was unbeaten in 10 competitions. As a senior in 1931,

Warne again won Big Ten and NCAA championships — the latter at a height of 13-10 5/16. Each of the three years Warne won NCAA gold medals, the height of his winning vault increased.