It’s an event that not all schools have and requires a blend of technique and fearless athleticism.

When it comes to the pole vault, a number of area schools have developed a strong tradition in the event, while there are still many schools, including some in Class A, that don’t even have a pole vault pit.

This spring area athletes are once again making their presence known. Ipswich has the top vaulter in the Class B boys in Brody Davis and Class B girls in Jalyssa Hutson.

Warner has four vaulters among the state’s leaders with Easton Bruns second and Paxton Johnson fourth in boys, and Avery Bruns fourth and Courtney Leidholt fifth in girls. Chays Mansfield, who was sixth a year ago at state, is just starting to compete following an illness and injury.

For the Monarchs, getting the pole vault up and running has been a work in progress.

“We started it back when Jackie Braun was the head coach. We were just sending kids to Northern to get an opportunity at a clinic to vault,” said Warner coach Jeff Larson. “We spent a couple hundred dollars on used poles, because we had some interest, and I think when you have interest you gotta go, otherwise you lose kids, because not everyone can run. Not everyone is built to be successful on the track. So if you can add pole vault, javelin, you can add those things to your program, you’ve got kids that now can have success and feel good about themselves, and that’s what track is all about in my mind.”

Not only that, but Larson grew tired of conceding so many points to his long-time friend, Ipswich coach Todd Thorson at the Lake Region Conference meet.

“When we gave up 30 points in the conference meet every year to Ipswich, it got old,” Larson said with a chuckle.

Now the Monarchs are able to hold their own at the LRC meet in that pivotal event.

“We’re out to beat each other when all possible,” Larson said of his friendly rivalry with Thorson. “It is what it was. We were losing out on points, and again, because we had interest, we were going to go for it.”

What helped to propel Warner in the vault was a new track and field complex, as well as a coach with experience in the event, Kayla Nilsson.

“That’s the other successful part,” Larson said, “having a coach that knows what’s she’s doing.”

Larson said having a knowledgeable person to work with the athletes has made a huge difference.

“Having Kayla, a premier coach to run the program, there’s someone dedicated to it, so we have an advantage that most school’s don’t. … Without her we’re not building a program,” Larson said. “I was dubbed the head person to get pole vault going, but I knew nothing.”

Larson said pole vault is something that takes time to figure out before athletes can get a firm grip on it.

“The thing about pole vault is you can struggle, struggle, struggle and then you get that one day, and you just pop some heights,” he said. “It just clicks.”

Because the event takes some trial and error, schools like Warner have a big advantage because it has a dedicated to space to practice pole vault, while many small schools do not.

“It’s not an easy sport to learn and that’s where schools who don’t have a facility, they’re at a disadvantage,” Larson said. “Because it’s a slow process until you get that one click that, OK I understand this now, and then I’m going to the next height, and the momentum builds and before you know it, you’re in the top 24 and excitement is building.”

Other top vaulters in the area include Milbank’s Sam Rick who leads the Class A boys, and Peyton Schnabel of North Central who is second in the Class B girls.

LEADING THE WAY

Bergan Musser of Lennox now leads four open events in Class A girls. Musser tops the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 400-meter dash and the long jump.

Tate Grabow of Hill City leads the Class A boys in the 800-meter run, 1,600-meter run, and the 3,200-meter run.

There are 13 other athletes who lead two open events, including Rick in the pole vault and triple jump, and Northwestern’s Ella Boekelheide in the Class B 800 and 1,600.

BY THE NUMBERS

There is a battle brewing among team leaders in Class A girls. Sioux Falls Christian currently leads nine events, while Lennox is right behind with eight.

Other team leaders this week include Sioux Falls Lincoln in Class AA boys (seven events), Harrisburg, Rapid City Stevens, and Spearfish in Class AA girls (three events each), Hill City in Class AA boys (five events), Philip in Class B boys (five events), and Bennett County in Class B girls (five events).