Pole Vault Summit 2007

Mills Godwin senior Anne Marie Gordon is in \"The Biggest Little City in the World\" in Reno, Nevada this weekend to compete in the Pole Vault Summit. The Summit gathers some of the nation\'s best high school, collegiate, and professional vaulters to compete in a festive and competitive event for the unique field event. Gordon is Virginia\'s best in the event by a foot and three inches with her 11\'9\" this best.

Highlighting the weekend... Mid-week there were two shot put competitions in western PA, the TSTCA MEET at Thomas Jefferson on Wednesday, and the SPARTAN FIELD & TRACK SHOT PUT MEET on Thursday at Hempfield. On Friday at the DVGTCA INDOOR MEET #6, Penncrest\'s Karen Shump improved her US#1 mark in the Shot Put to 49-04.25, a meet record. With the addition of the DMR to the state events this indoor season for the first time, teams are going after it with a vengeance. Eleven squads were under 13 minutes on the flat track at Lehigh, led by a PA#2 by Henderson. Upper Darby\'s Bintou Dibba improved to PA#4 with a long jump. On Friday, at the TFCAGP D2 INDOOR MEET #7 at Widener, Wissahickon set a track record in the DMR, while Penn Charter set a meet record idn the 4 x 1 lap. At week #4, the final qualifier before the semis of the COLGATE WOMEN\'S GAMES Engineering & Science\'s Syeeda Gee won two events, the 800 and 1500. Teammate Kasia Taylor was 2nd in the 1500. On Saturday at the NEW BALANCE GAMES in New York on Saturday, Easton\'s Chanelle Price takes 2nd in the girls elite mile at the New Balance Games in NY, to Danielle Tauro\'s 4:46.13, running a 4:50.65! VIDEO LINK AVAILABLE. Also at the meet, Bradford took the 4x800 in a PA#1 time. There were also PA#1\'s from the Swenson\'s girls and O\'Hara boys in the 4x200; and the Chester girls in the sprint medley relay. Methacton also became the 2nd squad under 4 in the 4x400. Early Saturday morning, Clayton NC sr Johnny Dutch broke Deworski Odom\'s (Overbrook HS) 1995 55H USR. At the YALE TRACK CLASSIC in CT, Great Valley\'s boys won the small school DMR. On Saturday, Downingtown West\'s Christen Arnold took over PA#2 in the long jump. Downingtown West ran a PA#3 mark in the 4x400. At the LAVINO RELAYS in New Jersey at the Lawrenceville School, Glen Mills\' Semaj Spencer leapt nearly 47\' in the triple jump; went 21-03.25 as part of the winning long jump relay; contributed to the winning high jump relay, and ran a leg on the winning 4x200. At the POLE VAULT SUMMIT in Reno, Nevada, Abby Schaffer of Easton upped her PA#1 mark with one-inch PR. At the KENT STATE HS OPEN #1, McDowell\'s Brice Myers took over PA#1 in the 55 hurdles. At the TFCAGP D1 INDOOR MEET #7 @ Glen Mills Schools, Boyertown\'s Jason Weller tuned up for his upcoming Millrose Games mile with sub-2 in the 800. Teammate Mark Dennis dipped under 9 again in the 3000. On Sunday at the MARIETTA COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL MEET #2 in Marietta, OH, Scott VanKooten, Pittsburgh Central Catholic, posted a PA#2 in the 3200. (Cover photo: Council Rock North won the DMR at the Lawrenceville School\'s Lavino Relays in NJ

Val\'s pole vault gals had exceptional showings at the Pole Vault Summit held in Reno, Nevada this past weekend. Val Osipenko is one of the best pole vault coaches in the state and works as a club coach to three of the state\'s best vaulters with Mills Godwin\'s Anne Marie Gordon, Westfield\'s Betsy Alter, and St. Catherine\'s Carrie Wortham. All three vaulters competed in the pole vault extravaganza held out west. Both Gordon and Alter were high school section winners at the Summit, while Alter and Wortham cleared personal bests of 11\'6\" and 10\'10\" respectively. State leader Gordon was not far off her 11\'9\" all-time best with a clearance of 11\'7\" to win section two.