McRitchie and Jones produce more wins for Northwest Pole Vault Club and Tindall triumphs for Texas Express, with Highland senior Bingham emerging victorious in boys section; Dolcini earns first women’s college title for Nevada since 2017, with Amata prevailing for Mt. SAC men’s team

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

RENO – The momentum continued Saturday at the UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit for Northwest Pole Vault Club, which demonstrated the future of the group remains bright even after twin sisters Amanda Moll and Hana Moll graduate this spring from Capital High and transition in the fall to the University of Washington.

Ella McRitchie, a junior at Bainbridge High in Washington who took third in June at Nike Outdoor Nationals, won the elite girls high school competition with a clearance of 13 feet, 8 inches (4.16m) and Inglemoor High sophomore Jacqueline Jones prevailed in the No. 3 high school section with a personal-best 12-8 (3.86m) at the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center.

Their victories followed Amanda Moll setting national high school and American Under-20 records Friday to win the women’s elite section with the first 15-foot effort by a U.S. prep female athlete, producing a 15-1.50 (4.61m) clearance, with Hana Moll adding a personal-best 14-9.50 (4.51m) to take third.

McRitchie cleared 13-8 on her first attempt to prevail against Indianapolis Cathedral senior and South Dakota signee Kailee Swart, who took runner-up for Pole Vault Elite with a 13-4 clearance (4.06m).

Jathiyah Muhammad, the reigning California state champion representing Dublin High and San Jose Track Club, and one of only two vaulters in state history to achieve 14-foot clearances indoor and outdoor, took third with a 12-10 (3.91m) effort.

Tatum Richards of Emmett High in Idaho representing Dragila Vault Club also cleared 12-10 to finish fourth.

With McRitchie and Jones producing decisive victories, the No. 2 girls high school section featured a more dramatic conclusion, with four competitors all clearing 12-8 to achieve personal-best performances.

Emma Tindall, a senior at Sunnyvale High representing Texas Express, cleared both 12-4 (3.76m) and 12-8 on her first attempts to secure the victory.

Sophia Kowalski of Conroe Grand Oaks and The Woodlands Pole Vault Club produced second-attempt clearances at 12-4 and 12-8 to tie for second with Brooke Walden of Homewood High in Alabama.

Jacelyn Neighbors, a junior at Royse High and Tindall’s teammate at Texas Express, delivered in the clutch with third-attempt clearances at 12-4 and 12-8 to join her fellow competitors in attempting 13 feet.

Brynn Kleinke, a fifth-grader from Oregon, triumphed against a section of high school competitors with a personal-best 10-8 (3.25m) clearance, one of the top performances by an 11-year-old female athlete in U.S. history.

Ella Russell, another 11-year-old competitor representing the South Carolina-based KMR Athletics, tied for the top spot against another section of high school athletes with a personal-best 10-foot clearance (3.05m) to match Angela Hoover of Axis Athletics Club and Green Hill High in Tennessee.

With the top two entries in the elite boys high school section – reigning champion and Virginia Tech signee Maddox Hamm of Scottsboro High in Alabama and South Dakota-bound Wyatt Stewart of Kaizen Pole Vault Club and Madison Central High in Kentucky – struggling to achieve their usual top performances, it created an opportunity for Zach Bingham and he took full advantage.

Bingham, a senior at Highland High in Arizona, cleared 16-4 (4.98m) on his third attempt to secure the victory, before missing three opportunities at 16-10 (5.13m).

Gavin Horton of Thompson High in Alabama was second with a 15-10 (4.83m) clearance, edging Kyler Nichols of Green Hill High representing Axis Athletics Club on fewer attempts.

Stewart, who boasts a personal-best 17-7 (5.36m) effort, tied for fourth at 15-2 (4.63m).

Hamm, one of 12 all-time prep athletes with an 18-foot clearance, missed all three tries at his opening height of 16-4 after winning last year’s event with a 17-2 (5.23m) performance.

Caelan Harland, a sophomore at Macon High in Missouri, won the No. 2 boys high school section with a third-attempt clearance at 15-10.

Three athletes in the No. 3 boys high school section cleared a personal-best 15-4 (4.67m), with Sylvan Osman of Lake Havasu High in Arizona achieving the mark on his first opportunity to edge Cameron Thomas of Windsor High in Colorado and Kyle James from Riverton High and Utah Pole Vault Academy.

Osman cleared five consecutive heights on his first attempt to earn the victory.

Landen Salley, a senior at Ben Eielson High and representing Alaska Pole Vault Club, elevated his own state record by clearing 14-4 (4.37m) to win the No. 11 high school boys section.

Camrin Dolcini, a sophomore at Nevada-Reno, became the first Wolfpack winner of the women’s elite section since Alison Powers in 2017 with an indoor personal-best 12-9.50 (3.90m).

Ella Foster of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada was second at 12-3.50 (3.75m).

Ethan Amata of Mt. San Antonio College won the men’s elite college section, edging unattached athlete Parker Terrill of Cal after both athletes cleared 15-11 (4.85m).

Both competitors cleared 15-11 on the first attempt, but Amata also made 15-7 (4.75m) on his first opportunity, with Terrill needing two attempts.