Hana Moll clears 14-8 (4.47m) and junior twin Amanda Moll makes 14-2 (4.32m) to produce top two prep performances in event history for Northwest Pole Vault Club pair; Hamm highlights boys competition by achieving 17-2 (5.23m) effort, with Bresko and Faber winning college sections

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

RENO – Hana Moll and Amanda Moll said of all the elite professional athletes attending the UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit, they were most excited to watch reigning Olympic gold medalist Katie Nageotte compete at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center.

Little did the junior twins from Capital High in Washington, representing Northwest Pole Vault Club, anticipate that it would be Nageotte, a Nike professional athlete, watching them compete Saturday, as the Moll sisters made history in the elite girls high school section in the return of the event following a one-year absence.

RESULTS | INTERVIEWS

Hana Moll cleared 14 feet, 8 inches (4.47m) on her third attempt and Amanda Moll achieved a 14-2 (4.32m) clearance to not only produce the top two performances by prep female competitors in event history, but also become the first two girls high school athletes to both clear at least 14-2 in the same meet.

Hana Moll improved on her No. 2 all-time high school and American Under-20 indoor marks after clearing 14-7.25 (4.45m) on Jan. 1 at the EXPO Explosion in Belton, Texas. She also elevated to the No. 13 competitor in World Under-20 indoor history and produced the second-highest indoor performance by any 16-year-old vaulter globally.

Hana Moll took three attempts at the national and American Under-20 indoor records, but was unsuccessful at 14-9.50 (4.51m). She still ascended to the No. 4 absolute prep competitor, trailing only former Northwest Pole Vault Club standout Chloe Cunliffe, recent Westlake High of California graduate Paige Sommers and 2020 Orchard Park of New York grad Leah Pasqualetti.

Amanda Moll, who cleared 14-7.25 outdoors in June, improved on her indoor personal best with a third-attempt effort at 14-2 to equal the No. 8 all-time high school indoor competitor.

Only three female prep athletes had cleared 14 feet in Reno prior to Saturday, including Cunliffe in 2019. Tori Anthony of Castilleja High in California also achieved the feat in 2007 after Katie Veith of Homestead High in Indiana became the first to reach the 14-foot level at the event in 2006.

Anthony had cleared 14-2.50 (4.33m) to place second at the 2007 Husky Invitational at the Dempsey facility in Seattle, but she was competing unattached against professional and college vaulters.

The Moll sisters are scheduled to compete in the high school section Jan. 29 at the 114th Millrose Games at The Armory in New York, with Nageotte competing in the elite field later the same day.

Maddox Hamm, a junior from Scottsboro High in Alabama, won the boys elite high school section with a first-attempt clearance at 17-2 (5.23m).

Hamm, who cleared 17-4 (5.28m) on Wednesday at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, prevailed against national high school indoor leader Wyatt Stewart, a junior from Madison Central High in Kentucky. Stewart cleared 16-10 (5.13m) on his second opportunity after achieving a 17-6 (5.33m) performance Jan. 1 at the EXPO Explosion.

Jack Mann, a senior at Austin Lake Travis in Texas, took third with a 16-4 (4.98m) effort.

Seth Nelson, a junior at Boise Senior High in Idaho representing Stacy Dragila Vault Company, prevailed in the second high school boys section with a first-attempt clearance at 15-8 (4.77m).

Nelson edged Efram Melendez from Laredo St. Augustine in Texas, representing Bell Athletics, who also cleared 15-8 on his first opportunity, but took second overall based on an earlier miss at 13-6 (4.11m).

Kai Miller, a senior at Eagle Valley High in Colorado representing Raise the Bar, cleared 15-8 on his third attempt, taking third overall, ahead of Michael Nance, a senior at Coppell High competing for Texas Express Track Club, who also achieved a third-attempt clearance at 15-8, but finished fourth after needing two tries at 15-2 (4.62m).

Lexi Evans of Scripps Ranch High in California, representing North County Pole Vault Club, won the second girls high school section after clearing 12-10 (3.91m) on her first opportunity.

Evans prevailed against Jathiyah Muhammad of Mission Valley Track and Field Club, who cleared 12-10 on her second try. Tatum Richards of Emmett High in Idaho took third overall by clearing 12-10 on her third opportunity, edging Kourtney Rathke, a sophomore at Peak to Peak in Colorado representing Above the Bar Track Club, based on fewer attempts at 12-4 (3.76m).

Tessa Mudd, a senior at Charleston Collegiate School in South Carolina, tied for third in the top high school section at 12-10, along with Quinn Calhoun, a senior at Cypress Woods High in Texas representing MAC Vault Academy.

Ella McRitchie, a sophomore at Bainbridge High in Washington representing Northwest Pole Vault Club, won the third girls high school section by clearing 12-10 on her third attempt.

Parker Samuelson, a senior at Houston Stratford competing for MAC Vault Academy, won the third boys high school section by clearing 15-2 on his first attempt to prevail against three other athletes who also made the same height.

Mathis Bresko, a sophomore at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo competing unattached, won the top men’s collegiate section with a first-attempt clearance at 16-4.75 (5.00m).

Bresko, who boasts an outdoor personal-best 16-7.25 (5.06m) after placing third in the Big West Conference last year, had three unsuccessful attempts Saturday at 17-0.75 (5.20m).

Glen Quayle of Northern State in South Dakota placed second by clearing 15-1 (4.60m) on his third try.

Victoria Faber of Aquinas College in Michigan, the 2020 NAIA indoor champion and outdoor runner-up, triumphed in the women’s collegiate section by clearing 12-9.50 (3.90m) on her first opportunity.

Faber, who finished fifth at last year’s NAIA indoor final before competing unattached during the outdoor season, was unsuccessful on three tries at 13-3.50 (4.05m).

McKenzee Danielson of Northern State finished second by clearing 11-5.75 (3.50m) on her first opportunity.