ATHENS, GREECE -- Former South Dakota Coyote track and field star Derek Miles' dream of medaling at the 2004 Olympics Games fell a little short but Miles made the world take notice of him.

Miles, a 1996 South Dakota graduate, finished seventh with a vault of 5.75 meters or 18 feet 10 1 1/2 inches in the finals of the pole vault competition. He was the third American in the top seven of the competitition. While he may not have won, Miles advanced to the finals by making the qualifying height two days ago. Throughout the competition, he showed the zeal and resiliency that established this American team as one of the best in recent memory.

"Derek did his best and that is all we can ask," said Dave Gottsleben, the USD men's track and field coach who recruited Miles to South Dakota in the early 1990s. "He clearly showed that he has a big heart and a belief that he will continually get better," added Gottsleben, who followed Miles' vaulting over the internet. "We are very proud of what he has accomplished. To finish seventh is a very noteworthy achievement in an event that is one of the most competitive in track and field."

Timothy Mack, who won the U.S. Trials in the vault, won the Gold Medal with a vault of 5.95 meter. USA's Toby Stevenson won a Silver Medal with a second place finish. Stevenson went 5.90 meters. 2003 world champion Giuseppe Gibilisco of Italy won the Bronze Medal with a vault of 5.85. Igor Pavlov of Russia was fourth at 5.80 meters with Danny Ecker of Germany fifth at 5.75 meters and Lars Boergeling, sixth, at 5.75 meters.