The Above the Bar vaulters take in a group photo from Tuesday's event at Steinhauer Field House. Photo by John Carmony.
It's almost always in season for serious pole vaulters.
Above the Bar hosted their own (USATF sanctioned) pole vault meet at Steinhauer Field House in Golden on Saturday. Though mostly a high school level meet, a couple of middle schoolers and a few of the grizzled veterans of the pole vault joined in as well.
The highlight of the afternoon's activities was a tie in the 17-18 boys division that could portend a 2A showdown at the outdoor state meet in May. After a three-misses-and-out experience at the Air Force Holiday Open, Cooper Daniels settled in for a solid performance at the Above the Bar Pole Vault meet. Both Daniels and Brandon Hinkle ended up clearing 13-11.25.
For a first outing for Hinkle and a first outing with a clearance for Daniels, that's a nice way to get things going.
Chloe Woest led the girls pole vaulters at the meet with an 11-5.75. Alex Hellenberg was not far behind at 10-11.75.
To put some those marks in perspective, Hinkle's clearance is just shy of his indoor PR and actually betters his outdoor PR. For Daniels, it is a first indoor vault mark of record and about six inches shy of his outdoor PR. Woest easily sets a new indoor PR with her mark and comes within less than two inches of her outdoor PR. Hellenberg matches her PR with Tuesday's effort.
Look for a whole lot more from the pole vault set as more of the regulars return to action in January. The first meet opportunity of the year will come at the Air Force All Comers on Friday, January 8. Since that is a collegiate meet, the starting height in the pole vault will effectively limit high school participation to only the top vaulters. The Martin Luther King Mile-High meet on January 16 should be able to accommodate a much broader spectrum of vaulters.
Above the Bar Pole Vault Meet Results