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There has always been an ebb and flow in the Pole Vault for Junior Leah Pasqualetti (Orchard Park). A clear progression that improves week over week, peaking at high heights late in the Season. This rhythm allowed Pasqualetti to capture the Indoor State Title at 13-3 this Winter, her first time ever over 12-7. She followed that up with a 13-2.25 at Indoor Nationals to land on the podium.
It would seem that rhythm has returned Outdoors. After grabbing an Outdoor PR of 12-10 at ECIC's, she cleared 12-6 at the Outdoor State Meet for the Silver Medal, repeating the height one-quarter inch higher at Outdoor Nationals. Since then, she's been back home, still practicing for next year, when she would the State's Top Returner.
But she wouldn't have to wait until next year to nab the honors of being NY #1. Competing at a USATF-Certified Club Meet, the Mac Track and Pole Vault Club Championships, Pasqualetti set a new Personal Best at unprecedented heights. After a clearance at 12'1 and 12'7, with one miss on each attempt, she got over 13'1 on her first attempt. The bar moving up half-a-foot at a time, she had no choice but to go to 13-7. Two misses already at the record breaking height, the Orchard Park Junior cleared on her final attempt (video below).
The mark stands as a new Junior State Record, previously held by another Section 6 standout. Tiffany Maskulinski (Iroquois) was one of the first American High School female's over 14-0, but before she did that her senior year, she cleared 13-6 in 2004, as a Junior. That mark has now been bettered. It also now stands as US #5, as marks completed before August 20th count for the Current Spring Track Rankings, and Record consideration.