ATLANTA - January 30, 2017 - Pole Vault Atlanta hosted its second indoor pole vault meet at Atlanta Track Club on Sunday, January 29, 2017. Named the Indoor State Championships, 65 athletes including many of Georgia’s top vaulters participated. Atlanta Track Club’s indoor facility provided favorable conditions for personal bests for the majority of participants. In total, there were 25 personal bests and three new state-leading jumps that place all three vaulters in the top 15 in the nation. The day was separated into four divisions, girls and boys high and low pits.The girls high school division showcased national talent, including the nation's #1, #3, and #7 jumpers. Fifteen girls would compete for the state indoor title. The competition began to get intense as Alex Potts of Pole Vault Atlanta hit 3.68m on her third attempt leading a total of five girls to attempt 3.80m; Hannah Jeffcoat, Kaylee Riley, Becky Arbiv, Carson Dingler, and Potts.
Three of the five would miss at the next height, leaving Dingler of First Presbyterian Day School and Arbiv of Pole Vault Atlanta in head-to-head competition. The bar was eventually raised to 4.14, with both girls using all three attempts. Arbiv made some technical changes on her final run, and from a six-step jump cleared it on her third attempt. barely grazed the 13’ 7” mark, winning the meet and giving her the best jump in the country.
The boys division was also impressive. The competition saw 14 boys gunning for the title of top Georgia indoor pole vaulter. It was a long day for these vaulters with many personal bests were achieved on third attempts. The bar quickly rose to 4m with seven boys still in it. By the time the bar got to 4.45m the meet was down to four; Hunter Mallard, Jack Rhea, Jack Cahillane, and Jack Haller.
The final two, Rhea and Mallard, debated the next height and went with 4.79m to break into the top 15 vaults in the country. Rhea made a valiant effort, but fell just short of the goal, placing second. On Mallard’s third and final attempt, he cleared the height with inches to spare. The bar moved to 4.88m, 16’ 0.0”, and on Mallard’s final attempt, he grazed the bar - but it held as he fell into the pit, putting him into the top 10 in the nation. The girls low pit division (ages 9-18) included the #1 and #2 middle school girls in the state, Payton Phillips & Brooklyn Kierbow. Phillips won the middle school division with a jump of 2.78m over Kierbow, who placed second with a vault of 2.51m. Of the girls in the low pit division, four girls cleared new PR's and more than 10 girls attempted PR vaults!The low pits saw a significant amount of personal bests in the middle school boys division, including a new leader. Nicholas West jumped 3.05m. In the high school low pit division, it was exciting as two boys battled to clear 3.56m with Matt Mazzacano victorious over Austin Drake on misses.
