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 =============================================================================== Starting Ht. 10' 0" Increase 6" Meet Record: 13-03 3/1/2020 Sydney Horn, Manheim Twp Name Year School =============================================================================== 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)