By Bruce Karnick

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Senior Molly Vaughan set a personal record in the pole vault at the section meet, clearing 10’3”, breaking the previous pole vault record for the Raiders. Vaughan was the only Raider to earn a state berth. The trip to state meant a road trip to St. Michael / Albertville High School last weekend to take on the best in the state.

Seeding for the state meet gives coaches an idea of where their athlete is in comparison to other athletes. It is their best height cleared, in this case, 10’3” for Vaughan. That height placed Vaughan in the middle of the 16-player pack, right around eighth, to start the day. Julia Gherardi, a junior from Hibbing, had the best seed height at 12’7” The day of the meet, Vaughan struggled to get back to her seed height finishing with a 9’6” which had her tied for 14th place. Unfortunately, pole vault is as much of a mental game as it is physical and Vaughan nerves appeared to get the best of her. Gherardi took the top spot with a height of 12’6”.

For Vaughan, her 14th place finish at state puts an end to her pole vaulting as a Raider. She finished her senior year second in the metro east conference overall and she finishes her high school career tied for 26th overall in the state.

Thanks to her pole vault coach, Dennis Francis and the track head coach Greg Sandkamp, Vaughan has built a love of pole vaulting since eighth grade, a love she will continue in the MIAC when she attends the College of St. Benedict for nursing in St. Francis. Vaughan will be vaulting just a few hours up I-94 as a Johnny.

Senior Pole Vaulter Molly Vaughan. Photo Submitted.