The Marist pole vaulting team has been working hard the past few weeks in preparation for their first meet this spring. This year the Marist pole vault team will take a select few of its athletes to the GHSA 6A Track and Field State Meet, which falls on May 4, 2024.
The main idea of pole vaulting is to be able to use a flexible pole and jump over a certain height marked with a bar. In a competition, the athlete is given three chances to get over the bar or clear that height. Whoever clears the highest bar is the winner of that competition.
The act of pole vaulting is a routine that must be memorized, practiced, and repeated multiple times. The team typically meets at the pole vault pit each day at 4:00 P.M. After warming up and stretching, they work on their mechanics and motions using the pole. Following that part of practice, they combine their mechanics and jumps to practice clearing heights.
Led by Coach Olga Kirillova, the varsity and JV pole vaulting team is a crucial part to the track and field team with impressive and hardworking athletes. Last year, these athletes helped bring home points at the 2023 state meet for the girls track and field team to finish in third place.
Though rewarding, it is agreed the sport of pole vaulting comes with its challenges. Student Mia PereaBerdiel, a pole vaulter at our school, said, “The worst part of the sport is how mentally challenging it is.” Due to its focus on individual performance, pole vaulting is rooted in comparison, which can lead to mental strain on the athletes.
Despite being an individual focused sport, student Jack Guhl talked about how close the team is. He said, “Our team goes out to eat together sometimes after practice, especially on the days before a meet.” This close bond is many of the athletes’ favorite part of this challenging sport.
During the 2023 season, student Ansley Cho was ranked second in Georgia for freshman girls and thirty-eighth in the US for 9th grade girls with a PR of 11’3″. Also during the 2023 season, PereaBerdiel was ranked 6th for freshman girls in Georgia and 123rd in the US for 9th grade girls.
