PTFCA Indoor States Preview: Girls' Field


Girls Pole Vault Preview

Another year, another big year for girls pole vault in Pennsylvania. PA is loaded with pole vault talent and it will make the event one to watch for on the infield at Sunday's state meet.

At the top of the state rankings is a freshman Veronica Vacca of Mount Saint Joseph Academy. It's been a big winter for the ninth grader, who vaulted 13-2 to break the freshmen class indoor national record at last week's DVGTCA Meet of Champions. That also makes Vacca PA No. 7 all-time in the event, and she enters the weekend at US No. 12 for the season. Vacca will look to improve on her own freshmen class record and chase what could be her first of many state titles in her career.

But as stated, this is a loaded field, and it will likely take a big day to take home the top spot.

There's another 13-footer in the field, Katie Urbine of Solanco. The junior vaulted 13-0 to win the Carnival and is jumping her best at the right time to go after the state title on Sunday. She's at PA No. 10 all-time and should be right in the mix for the win.

We can't count out a pair of 12-6 girls, either. Radnor's Sophia Hill and Villa Maria's Maddy Kelley have both jumped bests of 12-6 this winter, and are among the contenders in the field. Hill jumped 12-6 to take second to Urbine at the Carnival, while Kelley started her season off with a 12-6. Both girls have made some big improvements this season.

West Allegheny's Kaitlyn Eger -- another big improver this season -- cleared 12-0 for the first in her career this past weekend at YSU. She's been getting consistently better all season and should be a factor in the field.

A few girls are knocking on the doorstep of 12 feet, and Sunday would be a big day for them to break through that barrier. The multi-talented Corinn Brewer of Greensburg Central Catholic have vaulted 12-0 outdoors and she'll look to do the same indoors. She jumped an indoor best 11-10 in January. South Fayette's Melana Schumaker cleared a season best 11-9 to take the TSTCA title last week, and she's in a good spot entering Sunday.

The talent is booming in the pole vault in Pennsylvania and it will be on full display Sunday in this field.

ENTRIES:

Event 31  Girls Pole Vault
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 Starting Ht. 10' 0"     Increase 6"
 Meet Record:  13-03  3/1/2020    Sydney Horn, Manheim Twp                     
     Name                        Year School                                
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  1  Beigh, Delaney                11 East Pennsbo                
  2  Bender, Carissa               11 Eastern Lebanon             
  3  Brewer, Corinn                12 Grsburg Central             
  4  Concannon, Marlayna           11 Red Land                    
  5  Eger, Kaitlyn                 11 West Alleghe                
  6  Flanigan, Annika              11 Liberty                     
  7  Hill, Sophia                  10 Radnor                      
  8  Hoffman, Kirstin              11 Kennett                     
  9  Kelley, Maddy                 10 Villa Maria Acad            
 10  McBride, Julia                11 Spfield Montco              
 11  McNamee, Marissa              11 Central Dauphin             
 12  Schumaker, Melana             12 South Fayette               
 13  Shaw, Hannah                  11 Norwin                      
 14  Shivok, Coral                 12 Parkland                    
 15  Snyder, Baine                 11 Oil City                    
 16  Tapper, Elizabeth             11 Hempfield (7(               
 17  Thorne, Kaitlyn               12 Central York                
 18  Urbine, Katie                 11 Solanco                     
 19  Vacca, Veronica                9 Mt St Joseph                
 20  Woodward, Adeline             10 Trinity (3)