(Whittier, California) California High School was the venue, and pole vaulting was the event that took place on a cool overcast morning for the Junior Olympics Southern California Association meet. The track and field meet almost failed to launch because USATF could not find a location for the pole vault. Cal High School and Coach Richard Morales came through and saved the day. The meet was saved, and the location changed from Pasadena to Whittier for this final Championship meet.
For Vaulter Club there were two 2017 Champions made and well deserved. These kids came with a desire to win and left with a title that will last for all eternity. History made!
Tamara Bader, won the girls 17-18 Division with a 10’6″ clearance and became your 2017 Jr. Olympic Southern California Association Champion. Tamara has worked very hard for this opportunity and planned to go all the way to the Junior Olympics in Kansas this year on July 24th, 2017.
Jack Wright, a newcomer and 8th grader, won the 13-14 Divison after a fierce battle between him and Kaleb Meier, a 7th grader which Jack came out on top and had a triple PR day to finish at 10’6″. Jack is on a mission and plans to make some serious strides before joining his High School team. Congratulations Jack, your 2017 Jr. Olympic Southern California Association Champion.
Champions are not the only athletes that we will celebrate today; we had plenty of 2nd place winners and a whole list of athletes that will move on to the next and final round of the qualifying meet.
The final round will be held in Escondido, and all of the athletes had to qualify to make it to the next round. Only the top eight athletes from each age group will be allowed to continue to the next event. Only the top five in each age group from the Escondido meet will press on to the Junior Olympics in Kansas this year. The competition is quite good this year with around 20 Vaulter Club kids alone competing for the chance to press forward.
Here are your 2nd place winners from the meet.
Kaleb Meier 13-14 boys, Stephanie Silverlake 13-14 Girls, Katrina Meier 17-18 Girls.
Here are your 3rd place winners from the meet.
Dylan Chung 15-16 Boys, Kaelyn McCann 15-16 girls, K. K. Nicolazzi 17-18 girls.
Other notable finishers were, Nicole Silverlake 15-16 girls 4th, Julia Burda 15-16 girls 5th, and the following athletes that will move on to the next round.
Jack Wright
Kaleb Meier
Dylan Chung
Kayelene Nicolazzi
Alexandria Gray
Tamara Bader
Sierra Meier
Faith Heffron
Nicole Silverlake
Julia Burda
Kaelyn McCann
Stephanie Silverlake
Joseph Alipranti
James Wright
Charisma Davis
Good luck to all of these athletes and your hard work and training has paid off. On to the next round and through to the Junior Olympics we shall head. Kansas here we come!
www.vaulter.club