Shane Racey Moves To NY #3 All-Time In The Pole Vault

Consider 2020 the year of the Pole Vault. It was the year Mondo Duplantis took down the Men's World Record. Sandi Morris continually took big shots at the Women's World Record. Chris Nilsen (South Dakota Unviersity) broke the mens Collegiate Record.  Leah Pasqualetti jumped the highest vault by a High Schooler in a full track meet, setting a NY State Record. And now, you can add Cornell-bound Shane Racey (Ravena) to that list.

Racey cleared 16-6 for the first time on Sunday at the Section 2 State Qualifier, one week after establishing his Indoor PR at an Outdoor-matching best of 16-0. Racey's newest clearance makes him the outright State Leader in 2020, as well as US #9. He is the second athlete to clear 16-0 this year, in addition to W. Slater Costantine (Sauquoit Valley), the first time NY has had more than one athlete over that height since 2018. Racey then took some very good attempts at 16-10, which would have put him at NY #2 All-Time, before clipping the bar. Racey won the Outdoor State Meet last Spring.

Shane Racey is no stranger to State Records. He had at one time broken the 8th Grade and Freshman Outdoor State Records in the event, as well as the Sophomore Indoor State Record at 15-1. Only his 8th Grade Record has since been broken.  Currently, the Indoor State Record is held by Jordan Yamoah (Arlington), set in 17-1 in 2011. Second place All-Time is another disciple of the Hudson Valley Flying Circus, that of Todd Uckermark (Warwick), who went 16-9 in 2014.