By Michael Newman

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Luke Winder (Central HS, Plainfield) in every meet just seems to go higher and higher. He keeps trying to reach for the starts. Perhaps one day we will see that happen.

Winder traveled north to the USATF Wisconsin Indoor Championships at Carthage College in Kenosha on Sunday looking to improve on the 16-8 performance that he cleared in January at the Reno Pole Vault Summit in Nevada.

He competed in the Open competition of the meet on Sunday. He left Carthage with a new personal best of 17-0 3/4. It was 2 3/4 inches better than his 16-10 clearance that he achieved last March at the Lockport Indoor Invitational. (Watch his 5.20m attempt)

His vaults on Sunday show that he will be going much higher this season. He started his competition at 15-6 and cleared that on his first attempt. He had the bar raised to 16-1. He also cleared that on his first attempt. He raised the stakes and the bar by raising the bar almost a foot to 17-0 3/4 (5.20m). On his first attempt, he flew over the bar setting that personal best for either indoors or outdoors.

The bar was then raised to 17-2 ½ (5.25m). He missed on all three attempts. Nevertheless, clearing those three heights on his first attempts is a sign of good things to come for the Plainfield Central senior.

“It was awesome. It’s been an awesome time being able to have my dad as my coach,” Winder said describing how he felt after clearing 17-0 3/4. “The first thing I did was run off the pit and give him a hug. We both knew that we finally accomplished a big milestone in my vaulting career. We both have the same idea of getting right back to business.”

Winder now has the top two of the top three vaults ever indoors by an Illinois athlete . With his performance on Sunday, he moves into third place all time regardless of indoors / outdoors. He only trails Logan Pflibsen who cleared 17-2 in his sectional meet in 2010 and Phil Hanson who cleared 17 1 1/2 at the U of I in 2006. With the way he has started his 2014 season, it is only a matter of time before Luke moves ahead of Pflibsen.

Winder’s next competition will be at the Windy City Pole Vault Summit at Rolling Meadows on March 8. He also announced that he will be attending North Central College next year following the footsteps of his brothers Jake and Josh.