Rising junior from Woodsboro High in Texas clears personal-best 17-2.75 (5.25m) to add to national outdoor prep lead, with La Costa Canyon's Brown setting San Diego Section record; recent Casteel High graduate and Kansas signee prevails in showdown of Arizona Pole Vault Academy standouts to secure girls crown

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The boys high school competition showcased two of the sport’s brightest young talents, with the girls battle matching two friends, training partners and veterans adding one more exciting chapter to their prep resumes Friday at the Vaulter Club Vaulter Magazine National Championships at the Big Red Barn facility in Sun City, Calif.

Anthony Meacham, a rising junior from Woodsboro High in Texas representing Vault Barn, needed a lifetime-best clearance of 17 feet, 2.75 inches (5.25m) on his first attempt to hold off the challenge of rising senior Garrett Brown of La Costa Canyon High in California, who set the all-time San Diego Section record by clearing 16-10.75 (5.15m) on his second attempt, before deciding not to contest the next bar.

Meacham, one of only three sophomores in U.S. prep history to clear 17 feet, attempted a personal-best 17-7 (5.36m) and endured a narrow miss on his second try, but still prevailed against Brown and recent Highland High graduate Hunter Kasprzyk – representing Arizona Pole Vault Academy – who cleared a personal-best 16-6.75 (5.05m) with his first opportunity to place third.

Arizona Pole Vault Academy was also showcased prominently in the girls high school competition, with the showdown involving recent graduates Taylor Starkey of Casteel and Samara McConnell of Perry being decided on fewer misses.

INTERVIEWS

Starkey, a Kansas signee, and the Ole Miss-bound McConnell both cleared 13-1.50 (4.00m) on their second attempts. But after both athletes were unsuccessful with three tries each at a new Arizona state record 13-7.25 (4.15m), Starkey prevailed based on five total misses in the competition, in comparison to six for McConnell.

Heather Abadie, a rising senior at St. Michael the Archangel in Louisiana representing New Heights Gym, took third with a first-attempt clearance at 12-7.50 (3.85m). Abadie had plenty of height on her final two attempts at 13-1.50, but clipped the bar on her way down on both occasions.

Meacham, who entered the event with a personal-best 17-0.75 (5.20m), chose to pass at 16-10.75, before adding to his national prep lead to equal the No. 15 high school performer in Texas history.

Had he cleared 17-7, Meacham would have surpassed Orangefield High graduate Jacob Davis – who cleared 17-6 (5.33m) in 1994 – as the No. 2 all-time U.S. sophomore performer and equal to No. 8 in state history.

Brown came up clutch with third-attempt clearances at both 16-2.75 (4.95m) and 16-6.75 to remain in the competition, before finally surpassing the 2005 mark of 16-8 (5.08m) held by Derek Scott of Oceanside El Camino as the San Diego Section record in his fifth summer meet. Brown elevated to the No. 5 junior performer and 28th overall in California prep history.

In the earlier intermediate sections, rising senior Arran Fahey of Vista High and representing North County Pole Vault Club, won the boys competition with a personal-best 15-3 (4.65m) on his first attempt.

Jacob Kauffman, a rising senior at Basha High representing Arizona Pole Vault Academy, cleared 14-9 (4.50m) on his first try to place second.

Nicole Loy, a rising junior at Del Norte High representing North County Pole Vault Club, cleared a personal-best 12-1.50 (3.70m) on her second attempt to triumph in the girls competition against Aliso Niguel rising senior Dylan Beveridge, representing Victory Athletics, who secured a third-attempt clearance at the same height.

Both athletes missed three attempts at 12-5.50 (3.80m), allowing Loy to prevail after elevating her personal best from 11-9 (3.58m). Beveridge achieved a pair of personal bests, including 11-7.75 (3.55m) on her second attempt.