Jessica Sullivan & Avery Ringquist Article (CT)

[Russ]

Hartford Courant, June 2, 2005

Class LL State Championships
Manchester, CT

The girls pole vault was the last event of the day and two vaulters - Hall junior Avery Ringquist and NFA sophomore Jessica Sullivan - were left, trying to get over 10-6. Both failed, although Ringquist came close in her last attempt, and Sullivan won the event with a vault of 10 feet and the least number of misses.

A small crowd gathered around the pole vault pit, waiting for the event to end so the final scores could be announced.

"It makes me nervous, with everyone watching," Sullivan said. "Usually the girls go first. It's kind of nerve-racking."

Sullivan, a gymnast, started vaulting as a freshman.

"My next door neighbor used to be the track coach and he was always like, `You should try pole vaulting,'" Sullivan said. NFA won the Class LL title for the second consecutive year; last year, Amy Jancewicz, who graduated, set a meet record (10-9).