Top two high school female performers in the country to square off for the first time in their careers, with men’s elite section featuring five athletes who boast 18-foot clearances on first of three days of competition in California 

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Paige Sommers and Leah Pasqualetti have been separated by more than 2,500 miles all year, pole vaulting in invitational or virtual competitions on separate coasts.

But for the first time in their record-setting careers, the top two prep vaulters in the country will have the opportunity to square off head to head in the same event Friday in the women’s elite section of the Vaulter Club Vaulter Magazine Stars and Stripes Big Red Barn meet in Sun City, Calif.

The men’s elite section, highlighted by Arizona Pole Vault Academy professionals Audie Wyatt and Tray Oates and featuring five athletes who boast 18-foot clearances (5.48m), is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Pacific time, with the women’s elite section expected to start at approximately 7 p.m. on the first of three days of competition organized by the father-and-son tandem of Doug Bouma and Derek Bouma.

DYESTAT DISCUSSIONS VIDEO WITH LEAH PASQUALETTI AND PAIGE SOMMERS

Sommers, representing Westlake High, is the California state and national junior class record holder with a clearance of 14 feet, 6 inches (4.41m), which she achieved Feb. 22 at the Thousand Oaks Invitational.

Pasqualetti, an Orchard Park High graduate and Kent State signee, is the New York state indoor record holder at 14-3 (4.34m), which she cleared Feb. 1 at the Section 1 Groundhog Classic.

Pasqualetti prevailed in the recent NSAF x AthleticNET Virtual Nationals competition, clearing 13-8 (4.16m), with Sommers second in the country at 13-7 (4.14m).

Sommers returned from a three-month break from competition as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic to prevail June 6 at the Vaulter Club Vaulter Magazine Big Red Barn meet, setting a facility women’s record by clearing 14 feet (4.27m).

Sommers also received recognition Thursday as both the Gatorade girls state track and field athlete of the year for California, in addition to being selected the junior class female athlete of the year by Cal-Hi Sports.

The women’s elite section also includes Casteel High graduate and Kansas signee Taylor Starkey, the Arizona state record holder at 13-6 (4.11m), along with Windsor Roberts of Tri-Valley High in Illinois – last year’s New Balance Nationals Outdoor runner-up at 13-5 (4.08m) – and Rachel Homoly of Liberty High in Missouri, who eclipsed the national freshman class indoor record Feb. 25 by clearing 13 feet (3.96m) at the Northwest Missouri State University Youth/Open meet.

Alexandra Pevtsova, a former Arkansas State athlete who now trains with Arizona Pole Vault Academy and boasts a personal-best 14-1.75 (4.31m) clearance from 2018, is also scheduled to compete.

Nate Richartz, who competed collegiately at Notre Dame and now trains with Risen Performance, is entered in the men’s elite section, along with Oates and Wyatt.

Former California state champion Luigi Colella, representing Italy, cleared a men’s facility record 17 feet (5.18m) to win June 6 in his first competition in three months.

The Thousand Oaks graduate and 2013 state winner is also returning to the Big Red Barn to vault, in addition to recent Kentucky transfer Keaton Daniel, who prevailed June 12 in Arizona at the Desert Dream - Last Hurrah with a 17-foot clearance at Poston Butte High.

UCLA redshirt junior Kyle Brown, who also cleared 17 feet in Arizona but was edged by Daniel based on fewer attempts, is also entered in the men’s elite section, along with younger brother Garrett Brown, a junior at La Costa Canyon High who has cleared 16-6 (5.03m) twice this year.

Hunter Kasprzyk, a graduate of Highland High in Arizona who also trains with Arizona Pole Vault Academy, is also scheduled to compete, along with Poway High graduate and Grand Canyon signee Evan Dudley, representing North County Pole Vault Club.

Competition Saturday includes intermediate men’s and women’s sections, with beginners scheduled to vault Sunday.