Georgia State Meet - Malquist 16-8, Porter 16-7.25

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=229385

Track: Malquist sets new state pole vault mark
BY MORGAN LEE EDITOR

Gainesville's Paul Malquist heads down the runway to clear 15-0 on his third attempt at the Georgia Olympics on Thursday in Jefferson.

JEFFERSON -- Paul Malquist felt his heart stop as he watched the bar bounce up and down but miraculously stay in place.

The difference between a new state record and a complete washout on Thursday proved about a half-inch.

Malquist nearly scratched on his third and final try at 15 feet -- his first height attempted in the Class AAA pole vault competition. Yet despite the scare, the Gainesville senior went on to set a new state record, clearing 16-8 to claim his second straight Class AAA and all-classifications pole vault crown at the Georgia Olympics in Jefferson.

The record-breaking vault eclipsed a mark set just two hours earlier when Jefferson’s Tyler Porter cleared 16-7.25 in the Class AA competition. And Malquist says the mark might have stayed with the Dragons’ standout if not for his own near miss on 15-0.

“I was worrying too much and thinking about everything way too much,” Malquist said. “Once I saw that bar nearly come down it focused my mind. It definitely gave me a boost.”

The Red Elephants star soared through his next attempt, clinching the Class AAA crown by clearing 15-6 on his first attempt -- Flowery Branch’s Austin Eckenroth came in second after equaling his personal best vault of 15-0 -- and then set about catching Porter.

“I wasn’t even worried about a state title coming in to today,” Malquist said. “I didn’t really even know I had won it. The record was my main goal.”

Moving the bar up to 16-8, Malquist screamed down the runway and cleared it in one attempt to clinch the record. And he very nearly made the new championship mark 17-0, attempting the height, which is the state record for any meet, and missing by a hair’s breadth on his third attempt.

“I was so close,” said the University of Georgia-bound standout, who still has a few prep-level meets remaining before heading to Athens.

“I can still beat 17-0 in a meet,” added Malquist, who will compete again on Memorial Day weekend at the Golden South Classic in Orlando, Fla.

Malquist's work in Jefferson is also far from over, as the senior will also attempt to qualify for four different championship races on Friday, competing in the 400 meters, 300 hurdles and Gainesville's 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. The top finishers in each event Friday will qualify for Saturday's championship races.

Despite watching his own record broken on Thursday, it was a stellar day for Porter, and the entire Dragons team. In all Jefferson High athletes claimed three gold medals as the Dragons stormed to 33 points and a day-one lead in Class AA.

“I kind of woke up feeling sore and was in a little bit of a panic,” Porter said. “But then I went to school and came out here and started jumping and hitting my marks, and everything was clicking.”

Indeed, Porter set the then-new mark on his third attempt, setting off cheers and applause across Jefferson’s Memorial Stadium.

“I was kind of in shock,” Porter said. “I was watching myself come down, almost like an out of body experience.”

[KirkB]

16-7.25? Did you say SIXTEEN SEVEN AND A QUARTER? !!!

Congratulations Tyler, you've come a long way since 15-0 in your first indoor meet in January!

Here's your thread from back then ... remember? http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=19062&hilit=tyler

What were the main technical improvements you've made in the past 4 months?

Kirk