Schaffer scales new heights (PA)

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Schaffer scales new heights
PENN RELAYS. Easton junior clears a personal best to capture the high school girls pole vault title.
Friday, April 27, 2007
By BRUCE BURATTI
The Express-Times
PHILADELPHIA | Abby Schaffer picked the perfect time and place Thursday to scale new heights in the pole vault.

The Easton Area High School junior outdueled Montville (N.J.) sophomore Chrissy Finkel by clearing a personal best 12 feet, 4» inches to win the girls high school championship at the 113th Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

Schaffer was seeded fifth in a field that included the top vaulters in the Northeast United States. The Red Rover had just one miss -- on her first attempt at 11-5 -- before only she and Finkel remained after both cleared 12-4» in a light rain. Both missed three times at 12-9, but Schaffer was declared the winner on the basis of fewer misses.

"I was a little nervous because I was really struggling during warmups," Schaffer said. "I didn't feel good at all. I'm kind of surprised, actually. This isn't like a dual meet, you know."

Schaffer, a 2006 PIAA Class AAA fourth-place medalist, joins meet record-holder Lindsay Regan (12-8), who won the Penn Relays gold watch in 2004 and 2006, as Easton winners in the event.

Schaffer's winning height was also three-quarters of an inch better than her previous personal best set this past winter in the Reno (Nev.) Invitational. It tops her outdoor best of 12-3 at last year's District 11 Championships.

Schaffer and Finkel are both members of Mike Lawryk's Vertical Assault Club in Bath. In fact, when the competition reached the higher heights, the two vaulters shared the same 13-130 pole.

Many fans in the East stands openly laughed as one girl would clear a height then casually flip the pole to her club teammate.

"I've known Chrissy for about a year," Schaffer said with a shrug. "She has a long drive to practice vaulting. She's gotta love this."

Schaffer cleared the opening height of 10-10 on her first attempt, made 11-4 on her second and both 11-11 and 12-4» on her first tries. Finkel had an earlier miss at 10-10, which ultimately was the difference.

Liberty's Becky Frey placed third at 11-11.