A number of Florida vaulters made the long flight out to Reno, Nevada to compete in this year's Pole Vault Summit. The annual event draws the best the nation has to offer on the high school, college, open, and elite levels.
Ben Dickens of Douglas vaulted to an impressive 14-8, easily the top Florida high school performer of the meet. Dickens, who finished was third in the 4A last year with a 13-6 performance, looks much improved.
Last year's 2A runner-up, Matt Frith of Bolles cleared the bar at 13-8, which Frith says "is well below my current PR of 14-10." Frith is hoping for even higher marks this spring and possibly the 2A state title.
Photo of Robert Killen from Key West TF Homepage
Conch Republic (Key West) natives Robert Killen and Mike Weber also made great showings. The two competed in the same flight, Killen took second with a 13-6 effort while teammate Weber was fourth clearing 13-2. The performances stand as new personal records for each.
The duo have been relative unknowns in the state pole vault scene, only making solitary blips each on the elite performance screen. Killen made his first jump--or is it vault--on to the list at last year's state meet, where he finished in 8th place with a 13-foot performance. Weber meanwhile failed to hit the 13-foot elite standard (raised from 2002), at least in meets where results were reported, after making his debut in our database at the 2002 state meet. He vaulted 12-6 at that meet.
The Pole Vault City team featured an all-star cast. Alex Jannah (St. Thomas Aquinas) was the final elite performer for the boys in 13-2. His female PVC counterparts including 1A defending champ Lori Bowen (Maclay), Brianna Mulkey (Boone), and Caroline Kennedy (Boone) all cleared 10-feet. They went 10-8, 10-3, and 10-4, respectively.
Perhaps even more impressively was the performance of Daisy Glasser. The freshman is a newcomer to the event and competed in the beginners division. In her first ever high school meet Glasser cleared 10-0. The rookie attends Douglas Anderson HS, but since they have no track team she will be competing for Wolfson this spring.
Ferrell Maguire of Boone High cleared 9-4, just missing our elite performance standard. The senior finished fourth at least year's 4A state meet with 10-6, her personal best.
Amanda Bruce of Titusville Astronaut (8-0) and Hannah Richards of Key West (NH) also competed at the exclusive meet.
If you have any information about any other Floridians that we missed, please contact us.