Corey Smith Joins Elite Freshmen in the US

Corey Smith proved that he is indeed a force to be reckoned with in the US pole vault by setting a 9 inch personal best vault of 14′3″ at the Golden South Classic on Saturday, May 29th, 2010. This new PR would not have been high enough to win most of the Florida divisions, but it was high enough to win the 3A state title this year. Corey dedicated himself to fixing some issues after a sub-par performance of 12′6″ at the 1A FHSAA State Meet, a foot below his personal best of 13′6″. His hard work paid big dividends as his new pr places him 4th in the country for freshmen. Corey’s new ground transition allowed him to vault 9″ higher from 4 steps closer holding 4″ lower than before. Corey managed this feat from a walkup 10 step, 5 left, approach on a 14′6″ 165 Pacer FX pole with a grip of 13″10. With one meet remaining, in July, it will be fun to see if Corey is able to overcome the top 3 freshman in the US. 14′7″ is the goal, good luck Corey!

David Shepherd Wins 2010 Florida 4A Title in the Pole Vault

Even two bad kneecaps and one of the best fields in FHSAA history couldn’t keep David Shepherd from winning the title he has always wanted.  On Saturday, May 8th, David performed flawlessly as he made each of his bars, starting at 14′, on his first attempt.  This proved to be too much for the rest of the field as David stood alone on the runway with the bar at 16′, knowing he had achieved the goal that he had waited so patiently to achieve.  David has earned his place in the great vaulters of FHSAA history with this performance, not because of the height but because of the determination and grit that he showed to accomplish this feat.

In early February, David was in a car accident that caused the dislocation of both kneecaps.  The pain was unbearable at times throughout the season, sometimes causing him not to be able to vault or train.  Specialist after specialist in the South Florida area were vistited in hopes of a treatment that might make the pain go away, but to no avail.  In the regional track meet, his team was in need of a leg on the 4×100 relay for the finals.  Selflessly, David accepted the position and ran the leg on the relay in the middle of the pole vault.  Although the relay finished sixth in the region and did not advance, the run took its toll on David’s knees and he was unable to win his regional, finishing second to teammate, Hunter Moon, who jumped a personal best of 14′6″.  So for the entire week leading up to the state meet, David had to deal with the mental possiblity of not winning the state championship and the physical anguish of his kneecap pain.  Many times, adversity can either bring out the best in a person or crush them like an empty aluminum can in the depths of the ocean, depending on the character of the individual.  Failure would just have to take a back seat for this competition, because David Shepherd would not be denied.  Not only did he beat one of the best fields in any FHSAA competition,  but he set a personal record in the process.  Let this be a lesson to those out there who face adversity in the future.

David’s patience proved to be a virtue on Saturday as he was handed the “crown and scepter”.  David’s freshman and sophomore year, he vaulted behind teammate Riley Egan, who set the state record at 16′7″ in 2008.  His junior year he would have to settle for a place on the podium as he watched Mike Vani break that record in 2009 with a vault of 16′8″.  His wait was well worth it as he stood atop the awards stand on that late Saturday afternoon in May.  As David hobbled off the awards stand, I realized how fortunate I was personally to have worked with such a fine young man.  David’s father, Coach Shepherd, was a standout track athlete at Gibbons High School in Ft. Lauderdale.  I guess there is something in the gene pool, probably on his mom’s side, because David has a little brother, Nico, who is also a vaulter, so we’ll have to keep our eye out for another Shepherd on the awards stand in the future.

Congratulations David, you have stepped out of the shadows of your predecessors and now you are the man others will look up to in the future.

2010 Florida 2A District Pole Vault Results and Regional Qualifiers

Region 1

District 1 - This meet was held at Bay High School in Panama City, FL

Boys Results

1. Dylan Lopez, West Florida, 14′1″
2. DJ Streidel, South Walton, 13′
3. Ian Towne, South Walton, 12′6″
4. Trent Cunningham, West Florida, 12′6″

Girls Results

1. Mia Henderson, West Florida, 8′1″
2. Natalia Smith, South Walton, 7′
3. Morgan Kennedy, South Walton, 6′6″
4. Shelbie Andrews, West Florida, 5′6″

District 2 - This meet was held at Florida High School in Tallahassee, FL on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010.

Boys Results

1. Billy Mueller, Godby High, 11′6″
2. Connor McMillan, Florida High, 11′
3. Eddie Lloyd, Godby High, 10′6″
4. Fernando DeTorres, Florida High, 10′6″

Girls Results

1. Carter McMillan, Florida High, 8′6″
2. Sonya Mitroutzov, Godby High, 8′
3. Radiance Hayes, Florida High, 7′6″
4. Amy Murray, Florida High, 7′6″

District 3

Boys Results

1. Orrin Gilkison, Junior, Santa Fe, 10′6″
2. Shane Sellars, Senior, Suwanee, 10′6″
3. Austin Collins, Sophomore, Suwannee, 10′6″
4. Brandon Faulk, Sophomore, Santa Fe, 10′

Girls Results

1. Tanisha Wheeler, Junior, Suwannee, 7′
2. Cary Winstead, Freshman, Suwannee, 6′6″
3. Marissa Morgan, Freshman, Suwannee, 6′6″
4. Shelby Hewit, Sophomore, Santa Fe, 6′

District 4 - Meet was held at Jacksonville Bolles School in Jax, FL

Boys Results

1. Jack Reiman, Senior, Bolles, 14′
2. Garrett Scantling, Junior, Episcopal, 11′6″
3. Evan Saitta, Senior, Bolles, 11′6″
4. Patrick Googe, Sophomore, Bishop Kenny, 10′6″

Girls Results

1. Paige Shirley, Senior, Episcopal, 10′6″
2. Emily Smithwick, Sophomore, Episcopal, 10′
3. Amelia Williams, Junior, Bolles, 9′
4. Julia Rogers, Sophomore, Episcopal, 9′

Region 2

District 5

Boys Results

1. Chris Lind, Senior, Matanzas, 12′2″
2. Greg Harvey, Senior, Matanzas, 11′6″
3. Morgan Stanley, Senior Ponte Vedra, 11′6″
4. Levi Rosa, Junior, Matanzas, 11′

Girls Results

1. Emme Chandler, Sophomore, Ponte Vedra, 7′6″
2. Xandria Budney, Sophomore, Clay, 7′3″
3. Bonita Phillips, Senior, Clay, 6′6″
4. Alise Meyer, Junior, Matanzas, 6′

District 6 - Meet was held at the Villages Charter School in Lady Lake, FL

Boys Results

1. Ryan L’Heureux, Senior, Crystal River, 12′6″
2. Josh Resto, Sophomore, Crystal River, 9′6″
3. John MaCateer, Freshman, Crystal River, 8′6″
4. Cameron Jones, Junior, Crystal River, 7′

Girls Results

1. Jessica Frometa, Junior, Crystal River, 10′
2. Jacqueline McCune, Junior, Crystal River, 7′6″
3. Briana Tambasco, Junior, Crystal River, 6′6″

District 7 - This meet was held at Lake Highland Prep in Orlando, FL on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010.  A major shout out goes to Lake Highland Prep coach, Casey McGinn.  Casey, a former Pole Vault City vaulter, has done a fantastic job with all the vaulters, especially the girls, at that school. Well done Casey.  If anyone is wondering why Lake Highland has so many girl vaulters it’s probably because coach McGinn is considered a hottie.

Boys Results

1. Stephen Bush, Sophomore, Tavares, 11′6″
2. Alex Sirica, Sophomore, Bishop Moore, 11′
3. Nathan Parsons, Senior, Bishop Moore, 10′
4. Ben Dades, Junior, Bishop Moore, 9′

Girls Results

1. Jamie Murbach, Sophomore, Lake Highland Prep, 8′
2. Lexie Winograd, Junior, Lake Highland Prep, 8′
3. Mercedes Lambert, Freshman, Bishop Moore, 7′
4. Merritt Simmons, Sophomore, Lake Highland Prep, 7′

District 8 - Meet was held at Frostproof Middle/Senior High School

Boys Results

1. Clinton Faircloth, Junior, Avon Park, 10′
2. Benjamin Provan, Junior, Lake Placid, 10′
3. Federi Avellaneda, Eighth Grade, Frostproof, 9′6″
4. Justin Woods, Freshman, Tenoroc, 9′6″

Girls Results

1. Zakia hart, Junior, Avon Park, 7′6″
2. A. Raines, Freshman, Frostproof, 7′6″
3. Kiley Fort, Freshman, Lake Placid, 7′
4. Kaelyn Fort, Senior, Lake Placid, 6′6″

Region 3

District 9 - Meet was held at Berkeley Prep in Tampa, FL.

Boys Results

1. Pat Beane, Senior, Tampa Jesuit, 12′6″
2. Rico Gonzales, Sophomore, Tampa Jesuit, 12′
3. Mark Livernois, Junior, Strawberry Crest High, 11′6″
4. Gabriel Otheguy, Freshman, Tampa Jesuit, 11′6″

Girls Results

1. Mari Ostrenko, Junior, Tampa Catholic, 9′
2. Abby Hudak, Freshman, Wesley Chapel, 8′
3. Ruth Seleznick, Freshman, Robinson High, 7′6″
4. Marisa Petrick, Junior, Academy of Holy Names, 7′6″

District 10 - Meet was held at Sarasota Booker High in Sarasota, FL

Boys Results

1. Murad Ottallah, Senior Hardee, 11′
2. Jacob Arme, Sophomore, Cardinal Mooney, 11′
3. Damien Martinez, Sophomore, Hardee, 11′
4. Wally Ettel, St. Pete Christian, 10′6″

Girls Results

1. Briana Aguila, Senior, Hardee, 8′
2. Mary Swiatkowski, Junior,  Cardinal Mooney, 7′6″
3. Jillian Sacco, Sophomore, Cardinal Mooney, 7′6″
4. Kristen Skritek, Sophomore, St. Pete Christian, 7′

District 11

Boys Results

1. Josue Rosales, Senior,Estero, 11′
2. Ben Pine, South Ft. Myers, 11′
3. Seth Jenks, South Ft. Myers, 11′
4. Bryan Tischler, Senior, Bishop Verot, 11′

Girls Results

1. Julia Liccini, Senior, Bishop Verot, 8′6″
2. Lauren Orr, Lely, 7′6″
3. Laura Setzer, Senior Bishop Verot, 7′6″
4. Hanna Heidenreich, Sophomore, Lely, 7′6″

District 12

Boys Results

1. Codi Cooper, Sophomore, Satellite, 13′6″
2. Aaron Cowley, Sophomore, Astronaut, 13′
3. Ryan Gilroy, Senior, Westshore, 12′
4. James Thompson, Junior, Astronaut, 10′6″

Girls Results

1. Amy Bauer, Sophomore, Cocoa Beach, 9′
2. Kristen Petry, Sophomore, Cocoa Beach, 9′
3. Sabrina Falhstrom, Freshman, Astronaut, 8′
4. Taylor Johns, Freshman, Astronaut, 7′6″

Region 4

District 13 - Meet was held at Cardinal Newman School in West Palm Beach

Boys Results

1. Mark Metellus, Junior, Inlet Grove, 9′
2. Elijah Crapps, Junior Inlet Grove, 9′
3. Samuel Pluviose, Inlet Grove, 8′6″
4. Gavin Reinkow, Suncoast, 8′6″

Girls Results

1. Nicole Rodriguez, Sophomore, Inlet Grove, 6′
2. Talithia Stuart, Senior, Inlet Grove, 5′
3. Adrianna Cannon, Freshman, Inlet Grove, 5′
4. Daniela Wilson, Freshman, Suncoast, 4′

District 14 - This meet was held at Hallandale High School in Hallandale, FL on Wednesday, April 13th, 2010.  Archbishop McCarthy was all over this one on the boys and girls side.  Anthony Amodio successfully began his quest to repeat as the 2A State Champion with a fantastic vault of 14′6″.  I have to admit I never thought I would see the day when a Hallandale pole vaulter would qualify out of this district over the likes of Archbishop McCarthy and Cardinal Gibbons, but it happened and special congratulations to Antonio Duncan for seeing it through.  On the girls side, Jessica Cornelia led a strong contingent of girls where the minimum qualifying height was 9′6″.  We’ll have to keep our eye out for later results, but this may have been one of the toughest districts to qualify out of on the girls side.

Boys Results

1. Anthony Amodio, Archbishop McCarthy, 14′6″
2. Will Kelley, Archbishop McCarthy, 11′6″
3. Jamal Dowels, Archbishop McCarthy, 11′6″
4. Antonio Duncan, Hallandale, 11′6″

Girls Results

1. Jessica Cornelia, Archbishop McCarthy, 10′
2. Ashley Tewes, Archbishop McCarthy, 9′6″
3. Alessandra Cassidy, Archbishop McCarthy, 9′6″
4. Elyse Clement, Cardinal Gibbons, 9′6″

District 15 - This meet was held at Traz Powell Stadium in Miami, FL on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010.

Boys Results

1. Quinton Huffman, Senior, LaSalle, 10′6″
2. Loren DeLaGarza, Sophomore, LaSalle, 10′
3. Italo Angelini, Sophomore, LaSalle, 8′

Girls Results

1. Katherine Brennan, Senior, LaSalle, 7′

District 16 - Meet was held at Coral Shores High in Tavernier, FL

Boys Results

1. Clay Wagner, Senior, Key West High, 11′
2. Peter Blumberg, Senior, Ransom Everglades, 11′
3. Justin Tejada, Sophomore, Key West High, 9′6″
4. Eric Hernandez, Senior, Coral Shores, 9′6″

Girls Results

1. Alina Anderson, Freshman, Gulliver Prep, 10′
2. Ema Fehleg, Junior, Key West High, 8′6″
3. Racheal Dietrich, Freshman, Key West High, 8′
4. Devon Grussmark, Sophomore, Ransom Everglades, 8′

2010 Florida 1A District Pole Vault Results and Regional Qualifiers

As the 2010 1A District pole vault competitions begin, a new boys champion will be crowned and the girls title is up for grabs.  2009 champion Parker Harris has graduated and Logan Vanhoutteghem appears to be the early favorite to win it on the boys side.  Not many people are giving a certain freshman a legit shot to win it, but Corey Smith from Holy Trinity could be the darkhorse in this one.  On the girls side, Lindsey Enders will attempt to win her first state title after running into some issues at  the regional competion last year.  With an early season 12′3″ that leads the state, she is an early favorite, but she’ll need to get through the rounds to take on the likes of Megan Walker and  Kylee Skidmore, the defending state champion.

Region 1

District 1

Boys Results

1. Chris Carrigan, Senior, Jay High, 12′6″
2. Dakota Boughton, Senior, Jay High, 12′
3. Colin Phillips, Junior, Pensacola Christian, 10′6″
4. John Golden, Eighth Grade, Jay High, 9′

Girls Results

1. Caisea Phillips, Seventh Grade, Pensacola Christian, 6′

District 2

No offense to the athletes of Wewahitchka or District 2, but come on.  Are you telling me that non of the other schools in this district can get a girl over a 4′ bar with a stick or a 6′ bar on the guys side.  I’m sorry, but these heights won’t qualify you for the Middle School State Championships.  And by the way, thank you whomever you are that entered all the results in metric when it was sent to the FHSAA.   I had a ball converting these for us folks here on the mainland.

Boys Results

1. Nick Malcolm, Wewahitchka High, 7′6″
2. Josh Epps, Wewahitchka High, 7′6″
3. Dakota Ake, Wewahitchka High, 6′
4. Jeremy Morrill, Wewahitchka High, 6′

Girls Results

1. Kate Loyd, Wewahitchka High, 6′6″
2. Lynn Pippin, Wewahitchka High, 5′6″
3. Donia Lanier, Wewahitchka High, 5′
4. Kaitlyn Gaskin, Wewahitchka High, 4′

District 3

Boys Results

1. Brandon Peak, Junior, Port St. Joe, 11′
2. Kyle Weaver, Maclay, 6′

Girls Results

1. Megan Walker, Sophomore, Port St. Joe, 10′
2. Ashleigh Lewis, Senior, Port St. Joe, 10′
3. Lillian Van Winkle, 8th Grade, Maclay, 9′6″

District 4  I love it when the top girl height is higher than the top boy height.  In fact all 4 girl places vaulted higher than the 4 boy places.  Attention District 4 Boys Pole Vaulters: “Hit the weight room this summer”  have a little pride.

Boys Results

1. Aubrey Sapp, Freshman, Branford, 7′6″
2. Laz Hernandez, Freshman, Branford, 7′
3. Billy Peck, Senior, Branford, 6′6″
4. Ravenel Rieck, 6th Grade, St. John’s Country, 6′

Girls Results

1. Kelsey Stern, 8th Grade, St. Johns Country, 7′9″
2. Logan Boss, 8th Grade, Branford, 7′6″
3. Shanteena Cruz, Senior, Branford, 7′
4. kayla Ralph, 7th Grade, St. Johns Country, 6′6″

Region 2

District 5 - This meet was held at Bishop Snyder High School in Jacksonville, FL on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010.

Boys Results

1. Chris Dayao, Junior, Bishop John, 13′
2. Taylor O’Grady, Sophomore, Bishop John, 10′6″
3. Alex Deveney, Senior, Bishop John, 10′6″
4. Niko Waler, Senior, Bishop John, 9′

Girls Results

1. Sarah Reed, Senior, Bishop John, 8′
2. Katarina Stevens, Freshman, University Christian, 7′6″
3. Alex Waler, Freshman, Bishop John, 6′6″
4. Kat Richards, Senior, Bishop John, 6′6″ (Actually a tie for 3rd Place)

District 6 - This meet was held at Oak Hall High School in Gainesville, FL on Wednesday April 14th, 2010.  P. K. Yonge had a strong showing in this one, advancing in 4 of the 8 overall spots.  Kylee Skidmore was a little bit of a surprise, placing 3rd in the district.  Kylee is the defending 1A State Champion.  In her defense, I noticed that she ran the open 800, and was listed on the 3200 relay team as well as the 1600 relay team.  This is probably just a case of qualify and help the team score points.  We’ll find out next week at regionals.

Boys Results

1. Cullen Fitzgerald, Sophomore, P.K. Yonge School, 9′6″
2. Kevin Carswell, Freshman, Cedar Key, 9′
3. Frankie Beckham, Senior, Cedar Key, 8′6″
4. John Lowery, Senior, Oak Hall, 7′6″

Girls Results

1. Kandice Dixon, Junior, P.K. Yonge School, 8′6″
2. Kylee Skidmore, Junior, P.K. Yonge School, 8′6″
3. Shanna Breil, Freshman, P.K. Yonge School, 8′6″
4. Deanna Littlefield, Junior, Cedar Key, 8′

District 7

Boys Results

1. Steven Cen, Junior, Trinity Prep, 10′6″
2. Ryan Hempsted, Junior, Trinity Prep, 10′6″
3. Josh Dellgrottaglia, Sophomore, Mount Dora Bible, 10′
4. John Spray, Senior, Mount Dora Bible, 10′

Girls Results

1. Paige Byrnes, Sophomore, lake Mary Prep, 9′
2. Lauren Koos, Senior, Mount Dora Bible, 8′6″
3. Marissa Baker, Senior, Mount Dora Bible, 7′
4. Andrea Gabor, Junior, Trinity Prep, 6′6″

District 8 This district was held at the First Academy in Orlando.  Perennial favorite Lindsey Enders easily advanced with an 11′ jump on the girls side and on the boys side Conner Canatsey defeated freshman sensation Corey Smith by 6 inches.  It looks like this will be a great matchup at the regional next week also.  With only one other boy in that range in the region, it could be a great matchup for the next two weeks.

Boys Results

1. Conner Canatsey, Junior, Circle Christian, 13′
2. Corey Smith, Freshman, Holy Trinity, 12′6″
3. Gregory Phelps, Junior, Melbourne Central Catholic, 10′6″
4. Cameron Gross, Senior, Melbourne Central Catholic, 10′6″

Girls Results

1. Lindsey Enders, Junior, Holy Trinity, 11′
2. Ariana Barr, Senior, First Academy, 8′6″
3. Ashley Brumbeloe, Sophomore, First Academy, 8′6″
4. Lexi Kuck, Freshman, First Academy, 8′

Region 3

District 9 - Meet was held at Indian Rocks High School in Largo, FL

Boys Results

1. Grant Rideout, Senior, Northside Christian, 12′6″
2. Beaush Feaster, Freshman, Northside Christian, 10′
3. Will Geer, Junior, Seffner Christian, 9′6″
4. Brad Doobay, Junior, Tampa Prep, 9′6″

Girls Results

1. Kristin Kewshaw, Junior, Northside Christian, 7′6″
2. Jessica Artille, Junior, Northside Christian, 7′6″
3. Courtney Heron, Junior, Northside Christian, 7′
4. Bobbi Labrant, 7th grade, Indian Rockis Christian, 7′

District 10

Boys Results

1. Daniel Smith, Junior, Lakeland Christian, 10′6″
2. Daniel Firmin, Sophomore, Lakeland Christian, 9′6″
3. O Walters-Carlson, Lakeland Christian, 8′
4. Mitchell Devore, Sophomore, Lakeland Christian, 6′

Girls Results

1. Courtney Madden, Junior, Lakeland Christian, 7′6″
2. Anieke Aspinwall, Sophomore, Lakeland Christian, 7′6″
3. Carly Tippel, Junior, Lakeland Christian, 7′
4. Linzie Merchant, Sophomore, Lakeland Christian, 7′

District 11

Boys Results

1. Donovan Erbe, Sophomore, Admiral Farragut, 13′
2. Gem Runyan, Junior, Admiral Farragut, 12′
3. Joh Kistemaker, Sophomore, Keswick, 10′
4. David Sotolongo, Junior, Shorecrest Prep, 10′

Girls Results

1. Rachel Kistemaker, Freshman, Deswick, 8′
2. Ellie Palm, 7th Grade, Keswick, 6′6″
3. Jennifer Kistemaker, 6th Grade, Keswick, 6′

District 12 - Meet was held at Community School Naples.  Not a bad boys competition, but the girls was truly impressive.  It took 9′ to get out for the ladies.  I’ve seen many districts where that would have won the boys event.  Way to go ladies.

Boys Results

1. Connor Timmins, Senior, Community School Naples, 11′6″
2. Brian Ullrich, Sophomore, 10′6″
3. Mike Ross, Junior, Community School Naples, 10′6″
4. Logan Kraus, Sophomore, St. John Neumann, 10′

Girls Results

1. Erin Rectanus, Junior, Community School Naples, 9′6″
2. Kelly Robinson, Senior, Community School Naples, 9′
3. Valentina Grekos, Sophomore, Community School Naples, 9′
4. Manuela Burtscher, Junior, Seacrest Country, 9′

Region 4

District 13 - This meet was held at the Benjamin School in Palm Beach on Tuesday, April 13th, 2010.

Boys Results

1. Matt Murray, Junior, Benjamin School, 8′6″
2. John Thomas, Senior, Benjamin School, 8′
3. Chris Delange, Sophomore, Benjamin School, 8′
4. Ben Horowitz, Freshman, Benjamin School, 7′

Girls Results

1. Jamie Fisher, Junior, Benjamin School, 9′6″
2. Jeanelle Ackerman, Sophomore, Benjamin School, 8′
3. Taylor Cogsil, Sophomore, Benjamin School, 7′6″
4. Emily Fisher, Senior, Benjamin School, 7′

District 14

Boys Results

1. Logan Van Houtteghem, Senior, Coral Springs Christian, 14′
2. Thomas Maguire, Senior South Florida Heat, 12′6″
3. Johnny Lipham, Junior, Coral Springs Christian, 10′6″
4. Danny Chapman, Sophomore, South Florida Heat, 10′6″

Girls Results

1. Kamila Silva, Junior, South Florida HEAT, 9′
2. Blaire Teetes, Senior, Coral Springs Christian, 8′6″
3. Grayson Mack, Sophomore, Highlands Christian, 6′

District 15

Boys Results

1. Hunter Oman, Sophomore, Westminster Academy, 11′6″
2. Anthony Harel-Cana, Senior, Westminster Academy, 11′
3. Charles Adderley, Junior, Westminster Academy, 10′
4. Asher Shashaty, 8th Grade, Calvary Christian, 10′

Girls Results

1. Ali Battista, Junior, Westminster Academy, 9′6″
2. Rebecca Urrutia, Senior, Calvary Christian, 8′
3. Kelsey Thomas, Senior, Calvary Christian, 7′6″
4. Megan Kaiser, 7th Grade Calvary Christian, 7′

District 16 - Meet was held at Dade Christian in Hialeah, FL

Boys Results

1. Marcos Lopez, Junior, Florida Christian, 12′
2. Anthony Valasquez, Junior, Florida Christian, 11′6″
3. Eric Westring, Senior, Westminster Christian, 10′6″
4. Christian Argamasilla, Sophomore, Westminster Christian, 10′

Girls Results

1. Janelle Azaret, Junior, Florida Christian, 9′1″
2. Natalie Fiallo, Junior, Florida Christian, 8′
3. Alexandra Fleitas, Junior, Florida Christain, 7′
4. Chandler Stephens, Sophomore, Westminster Christian, 6′6″

Stephanie Cook and Corey Smith Sweep The Golden South Prep Divisions

Stephanie Cook and Corey Smith both set personal bests this past weekend on their way to the title of Golden South Prep Division Champion.  Stephanie, aka cookie dough, vaulted a personal best 8′9″ to win in a jumpoff against Anna Hinkeldey. Girls results are listed on FLrunners.com - girls prep division.  Both girls failed on their extra attempt at 9′ before Stephanie made 8′9″ to take the win. Stephanie will be a sophomore at East Ridge High School next year.

Corey, who is training partners with Mike Vani at Pole Vault City,  vaulted a personal best of 12′6″ from only a 5 left approach.  He defeated Alex Kanzanski who was second at 12′.  Boys results for the prep division can be found at flrunners.com - boys prep division. Corey will be a 9th grader next year at Holy Trinity, so everyone in 1A better keep that name in mind for the next few years.

In a aerial display, Jack Whitt from Oklahoma, broke the long standing Golden South record previously held by Pat Manson with a vault of 17′10″.  Jack also had 3 excellent attempts at the national record 18′3.5″.  Also in the boys classic competition, Mike Vani vaulted over 5 meters for his second meet in a row with a vault of 16′6″ for a solid second place.  Third place was 14′6″ - so you can see the gap between the Mike and Jack and the rest of the field.  Mike and Jack will compete against each other again at the Nike Outdoor National Championships in Greensboro, NC on June 20th.

Maclay Pole Vaulters Rewrite Florida Middle School Record Book

It was a record setting day for the Maclay track program on Saturday, May 16th in Clermont.  I realize i’m late on this post,  but at least i’m getting it done.  Lillian VanWinkle, 7th grade, and Kyle Weaver, 8th grade, each set the middle school record for their respective divisions.  Lillian set a personal record of 9′9″ and Kyle bettered his personal best with a vault of 12′6″.  Lillian broke the record that was held by Emily Cook and Megan Walker at 9′6″.  Emily was the runner up in the 4A division this year and Megan was the runner up in the 1A division.  Kyle beat the previous record of 10′6″ set by Riley Egan.  Egan is now a vaulter at UCLA and held the FHSAA state record at 16′7″.    Kyle’s victory was the first matchup of Kyle and Holy Trinity vaulter, Corey  Smith.  Corey finished second at 12′.  Both of these vaulters will be in the same classification for the next 4 years in high school.  Keep in mind that there has never been a 4 time state pole vault champion in Florida.

Congratulations to all the athletes, especially my daughter, Anna Haeck, who PR’d with a vault of 7′ and stepson , Jake Beatty, who tied his PR with a vault of 6′6″.  Anna is in  the 7th grade and Jake is in the 3rd grade.  Yes, you read that correctly, 3rd grade.

Mike Vani Vaults To 3A Pole Vault Title and Record With 16′8″

Mike Vani, a senior from Merritt Island High School, lived out a dream on Friday, May 8th, 2009.  Vani not only acheived his goal of winning a state pole vault championship, but raised a state record, that many people thought would stand for decades.  Vani brought the state meet crowd together, both the spectator side of the stadium and the athlete side, as they rhythmically clapped their hands to will the young athlete over some very steep obstacles.  After clearing bars at 13′, 13′6″, 14′, 14′6″, and 15′ all on his first attempt and all from 10 steps, 5 lefts, it was time to get serious.

Mike was methodical all year and knew the plan, win the meet then worry about vaulting high.  The blue collar task of winning the state championship was complete, it was his chance to shine.  As the bar was raised to 15′7″, Mike moved his run back to 12 steps, 6 lefts, which is the approach length that helped him clear 16′0.5″ at the district meet earlier in the year.  At this point, there were no other events taking place.  There was an intermission between prelims and finals, and all the other field events were complete. Mike came down the runway and easily made 15′7″.  The next bar chosen was 16′1″ to try and better his own personal mark.  After a first attempt miss, the crowd came alive and started “THE CLAP”.  For those who have never experienced it, this is probably the most incredible form of motivation.  Down the runway comes Vani, almost in stride with the rhythm of the clapping, and up and over he goes.  The next bar would be the moment Vani had been waiting almost 4 years to arrive. A shot at the state record.  He instructed the officials that the next bar would be 16′8″ and out came the tape measure.  All state record jumps must be measured and verified.  After all the measuring, it was time to see if Vani had what it took.  On his first attempt, Vani appeared to have enough height, but came down on the bar.  His second vault would be etched into the memory of all who saw it. As Vani came off the pole, his body seemed to just keep rising.  He didn’t make it by an inch or two, he smoked it.  This record jump would better the mark of 16′7″ set just one year earlier by Riley Egan, now at UCLA.  It was an amazing vault and a treat for the crowd to witness. Vani, with a grip height of 14′8″ on his pole, had just vaulted 32″ over his top handhold. Although one of his attempts at 17′ was close, it was obvious that the day had taken it’s toll on Vani.  His final vault occurred at about 6:45 p.m. and he began warming up at 3:00 p.m.  Congratulations Mike, you earned it!

In another chapter of the 3A state pole vault championship, Trent Wiseman, a senior from Freedom High School in Tampa, overcame adversity and received the award for 4th place at 14′.  Trent almost didn’t get to compete in the state meet as a senior due to a Swine Flu scare at Freedom High School earlier in the week.  Freedom High School had shut its doors to the public and there were meetings of athletic directors and FHSAA executives to decide what course of action to take.  This was a national headline, it was on the news, it was in all the papers.  In the end, the Freedom athletes were allowed to participate at the state meet with the other athletes.  I can’t imagine how hard this situation was on Trent psychologically throughout the week, but we are all proud of him for his achievement at the state meet.

As the hits keep coming, Brandon Bassett, a senior from Chiles High School, and David Shepherd, a junior from St. Thomas Aquinas also had unique stories. Brandon, competing in his third pole vault state championship, sported 3 individual medals at the end of the day.  He earned 3rd place in the high jump with a jump of 6′8″, 7th in the triple jump with a jump of 44′4.25″, and 2nd in the pole vault with a vault of 14′6″.  What a stud! This guy is going to make a great decathlete at USF in the years to come.  David Shepherd, son of Cardinal Gibbons Hall of Fame athlete, David Shepherd,  accomplished a personal best of 14′6″ and almost made 15′ at a meet that almost got away.  Earlier in the track season, Shep broke the thumb on his right hand.  I would love to report that he was saving a baby from a burning building, but he simply tripped and fell off the pole vault pit at a meet.  Shep spent most of the season in a cast.  Fortunately, the cast was removed a couple of weeks before the district meet and he was allowed to compete.  David’s third place finish helped St. Thomas Aquinas win a second consecutive boys team title.  What a great comeback story.

Official Results:

• 1st Place - Mike Vani, Senior, Merritt Island High, 16′8″ - A new state record
• 2nd Place - Brandon Bassett, Senior, Chiles High, 14′6″
• 3rd Place - David Shepherd, Junior, St. Thomas Aquinas High, 14′6″
• 4th Place - Trent Wiseman, Senior, Freedom High, 14′
• 5th Place -  Harrison Stierwalt, Senior, Chiles High, 14′
• 6th Place - James Ort, Junior, Belleview High, 13′6″
• 7th Place - Steven Shifke, Plant High, 13′6″
• 8th Place - Buddy Austin, Lincoln High, 13′6″
• 8th Place - Codi Cooper, Freshman, Satellite High 13′6″

London Enos Vaults to FHSAA 3A State Title With 11′

Down to her last attempt at 11′, behind on misses, London Enos, a junior from Wharton High School in Tampa, stood alone at the end of the runway.  It was the moment she had worked so hard to achieve.  London gathered herself, lifted her pole tip into the air, and began her approach run for her 3rd and final attempt at 11′.  Everyone was on edge, especially Cara Elyea, a sophomore from Lake Region, and Mallory Johnson, a sophomore from South Fork.  If Enos missed, there would be a jump-off between Elyea and Johnson.  As the pole tip hit the back of box, London left the ground, swung upside down, and cleared the 11′ foot bar with room to spare to capture the 2009 FHSAA 3A pole vault title.  Enos, who was battling some early week illnesses, was emotionally drained from the experience after having to make two heights on third attempts to capture the crown. I’ve had the opportunity to work with London and Mallory and I can tell you that both these girls are extremely talented and fantastic young ladies. With only 3 seniors in the group of 16 in the 3A state finals, you can be assured of another fantastic finish next year.

Official Results:

• 1st Place - London Enos, Junior, Wharton High, 11′
• 2nd Place - Mallory Johnson, Sophomore, South Fork High, 10′6″
• 2nd Place - Cara Elyea, Sophomore, Lake Region High, 10′6″
• 4th Place - Anna Heinzman, Freshman, Lecanto High, 10′
• 5th Place - Ashley Baros-Kabler, Freshman, Eastside High, 9′
• 5th Place - Haley Watts, Sophomore, Chiles High, 9′
• 5th Place - Stephanie Eveland, Senior, Lake Region High, 9′
• 8th Place - Lyqruisha Wyche, Senior, Pine Forest High, 9′
• 8th Place - Sarah Houghtaling, Sophomore, St. Thomas Aquinas High, 9′
• 8th Place - Chelsea Chandler, Junior, Navarre High, 9′

John Kennedy Wins 4A Pole Vault Title To Continue Family Lineage

It was a very special day for the Kennedy family. As has been the case for the past 7 years, the Kennedy family donned their traditional Boone High orange outfits to watch another family member join the ranks of state pole vault champion.  This time is was John Kennedy’s turn.  John, a senior at Boone High School, finally stepped out of the shadow of his sister, Caroline Kennedy, who won 3 consecutive state championships and set the state record at 12′9″ in 2006.  John narrowly defeated senior Sean Zupke, from Park Vista High School, with a personal best of 15′.  John watched, along with family in the stands, as Sean narrowly failed on his last attempt at 15′6″ to give Kennedy the crown.  John’s coach, Dave Cook, was as elated as John as their shared in the celebration of being state champion.  I do want to comment on how good John looked making that 15′ bar on a PVC adorned pole, the green and black candy cane.

Finishing in third place was Wyatt Metzger, a senior from Timber Creek in Orlando.  Wyatt was the state leader earlier in the year with 15′3″ and also won the Florida Relays with a vault of 15′ narrowly missing 15′6″.  Wyatt has been battling an injury through the final stages of the season and gave it a very gutsy try, only taking one warm-up jump and coming in at 14′6″, higher than any of the other competitors.  It takes guts to compete like that, kudos for your efforts.

Official results:

• 1st Place - John Kennedy, Senior, Boone High School, 15′
• 2nd Place - Sean Zupke, Senior, Park Vista High School, 15′
• 3rd Place - Wyatt Metzger, Senior, Timber Creek High School, 14′6″
• 4th Place - Drew Marcella, Senior, Taravella High School, 13′6″
• 5th Place - Anthony Lombardo, Senior, Countryside High School, 13′6″
• 6th Place - Roger Bencomo, Senior, Riverview High School, 13′
• 6th Place - Grant Woodruff, Senior, Lake Mary High School, 13′
• 8th Place -  Curtis James, Junior, Cypress Bay High School, 13′

Morgan Scherschel Wins 2009 4A Crown With 11′7″ Vault

Senior Morgan Scherschel, from Gaither High School, flew over 11′ to defeat junior Emily Cook, aka Cookie Monster,  from East Ridge High, and senior Nicole Smith, from Sickles High.  Both Cook and Smith kept the pressure on Scherschel by clearing 10′6″, but 11′ would prove to be too much for the other girls.  Upon winning the title, Morgan then moved the bar to 11′7″ where she soared over the bar on her first attempt, only to have the pole knock down the bar.  This attempt was ruled a miss and Morgan would run into the same situation on her third attempt, only to have the official rule in her favor - a decision that was made because she was the final competitor and would not affect the final outcome in any way.  Let this be a lesson to young pole vaulters: if you are not turned at the top of your vault, you will have difficulty throwing the pole back.  Morgan claimed her second title in as many years and is also the state leader at 12′.  One of the best scenes of all of the classification meets over the past two weeks occured after the competition on the award stand.  After receiving their medals, there was a choreographed dismount that was definitely picturesque.  With a majority of the competitors being former gymnasts and cheerleaders, this wasn’t too hard to believe.  Fortunately, no one was hurt during the dismount.

Official Results

• 1st Place - Morgan Scherschel, Senior, Gaither High, 11′7″
• 2nd Place - Emily Cook, Junior, East Ridge High, 10′6″
• 3rd Place - Nicole Smith, Senior, Sickles High, 10′6″
• 4th Place - Erica Weiss, Junior, Boone High, 10′
• 5th Place - Kelsey Karlstrand, Junior, Riverview High, 9′6″
• 5th Place - Heather Williams, Junior, Venice High, 9′6″
• 7th Place - Gracie Clapp, Junior, Bartram Trail High, 9′6″
• 8th Place - Senior Antonia Zecevic, Douglas High, 9′

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