Pole vault leads the way for Marysville-Pilchuck (WA)

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http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/north_sound ... 60349.html


Pole vault leads the way for Marysville-Pilchuck
By TRAVIS SHERER
Marysville Globe Sports Reporter
Jun 11 2010, 11:21 AM
TACOMA — It had been a day had been four years in the making for the pole vaulting duo of Marysville-Pilchuck seniors Sarah Clark and Riley Taitingfong.

“It’s been so weird that the last week has been in anticipation of today and it’s over so quickly,” said Taitingfong.

Clark finished sixth at the Class 4A state meet at Mount Tahoma High School May 29 while Taitingfong finished 13th.

The three-day meet, which began May 27 was plagued with some of the worst weather in recent memory and didn’t lighten up for the girls pole vault.

“It was like you get to a certain point and you hope you land on the side that’s padded,” Clark said. “At this point, we would have rather taken rain over wind.”

An odd thing to say, considering the 3A pole vault competition was postponed the day before due to rain — but it didn’t keep Gonzaga-bound Clark from ending her career in style, with a personal best 10-09.

Meanwhile, the wait for Taitingfong to compete for state meet was quickly over, after a two-year wait, as she was poised to earn a state berth near the end of her junior season, but a broken ankle prolonged her wait.

“I didn’t do as well as I’d like,” said Taitingfong, who reached 9-06 and plans on attending the University of Washington in the fall. “But I’m happy to be here too. It’s been a long time coming.”

The only girls to earn individual medals from M-P came from the pole vault as sophomore Summer Cull took home eighth place, reaching 10-00.

“She is such an integral part of our team,” said Clark of Cull. “She’ll be up here with the best pole vaulters in a couple years, but she does everything for us.”