Jatis inches his PR to 16-3 in Boys Meet win

By Michael Newman

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Rolling Meadows, Ill --- It was ladies night at the Rolling Meadows Field House Saturday night in the Windy City Pole Vault Summit. As the Boys Meet was coming to a conclusion, the bar was raised to 11-6 with 8 athletes still alive in the Girls Meet. In most years of this competition, the Boys meet finished the night with all eyes on their pit. On this night, all eyes watched a great Girls meet.

It concluded with Brooke Catherine (Normal Community HS) winning with a 13-1 clearance. It is a new school record even though Catherine cleared 13-4 at the Reno Pole Vault Summit in January. The IHSA only recognizes school records as in-season competitions.

This was a night of so many achievements. Danielle Wojciechowski (Lake Park HS, Roselle) was disappointed with her 11-9 sixth place finish. It was however, her second competition of the day. Earlier, she won the Hononegah Girls Classic with a 12-0 clearance. That is a pretty good day.

Cassie Wilson (Tri Valley HS, Downs) had a break through night with 2 personal bests achieved with a best of 11-3. Teammates and competitors rushed to celebrate with her after she cleared her second PR. Katherine Schroeder (Grayslake Central HS) had a breakout performance clearing 12-3 to finish third. Kassadee Ifft (Prairie Central HS, Fairbury) had a seasonal best of 12-0 to place fifth. It was not satisfying for Julia Junkroski (Lincoln-Way East HS, Frankfort). She was vaulting on an injured knee. She still gutted her way to a 12-0 clearance for fourth place. She could not even take her third attempt at 12-6 because she was in pain. That did not show when she was on the runway.

The focus in this entire Girls meet came down to Catherine and defending Summit champion Morgan Zacharias (Reed-Custer HS). Both athletes entered the competition easily clearing on their first attempt. Both passed at 12-0. They then took different paths in this meet. Catherine cleared on her first attempts at 12-3, 12-6, and 12-9.

Zacharias encountered a road block at 12-3 when she missed her first two attempts. She stuck it on the third attempt easily clearing that height. She popped a good attempt clearing on her first try at 12-6. At 12-9, it was a different story where again she missed on her first two attempts. There was frustration in her eyes. But, every time she approached the runway, that frustration turned to determination. “If I can make it in practice, I can make it now,” she told her parents as he went to take her third attempt. Just like the champion that she is, Zacharias cleared 12-9 on her final attempt.

There was discussion on where the bar was to be raised next. The meet record was 13-0. It was then raised one inch above the record to 13-1. Catherine experienced her first misses in the competition at this height. Both were good tries giving her encouragement for her third attempt. Zacharias was short on her first two attempts. All that was needed was an adjustment for the standard.

Zacharias went first on the final 13-1 attempts. She had a great attempt. It looked like she had cleared her personal best. It was not the case as she just grazed the bar going over. Catherine had the title but wanted the record. She just made it over the bar with “milli-inches” to spare. She had the bar raised to a bar to 13-5 where she could not clear.

“It’s weird but I don’t see Pole Vault as a competition with people, I just see it as me against the bar,” Catherine said afterwards. “It just didn’t want to get 13-1 for the record but also that Morgan would get a new PR. We work with each other which is really good. It’s healthy.”

The Normal Community High School senior has a busy week ahead with the Big 12 Conference Meet on Monday, the Normal West Girls Invitational on Wednesday, and then the New Balance Indoor Nationals in New York next weekend.

The Boys meet had just as much drama. There were also some breakout performances. Jake LaRocca (Palatine HS) achieved a new personal best and a new indoor school record (breaking his brother’s mark) when he cleared 14-6 for fifth place. Ryan Ashenbremer (Normal West HS) and Edward Smoliak (Highland Park HS) both achieved top 50 national performances when they cleared 15-3 and finishing third and fourth. Both of those athletes missed on their attempts at 15-6 leaving the Boys meet down to a match-up between the top athlete in the vault in the state Andy Jatis (Providence Catholic HS, New Lenox) and 2013 1A State Champion Adam Coulon (Tri-Valley HS, Downs).

Coulon, who did not compete during the 2014 season, came in early at 14-0 easily clearing on his first attempt. Jatis waited until the bar was at 14-6 to enter the competition. Both athletes cleared on their first attempt.

Both passed at 14-9 going to 15-0. Coulon had a good first clearance at that height. Jatis had a hiccup missing on her first attempt. He cleared the bar on his next attempt easily clearing by close to a foot. Another pass brought the bar up to 15-6. It was this time that Coulon missed on his first attempt before nailing the next attempt. Jatis cleared that height on his first try.

This is when the chess match began. Jatis passed to 16-0. Coulon went ahead and tried at 15-9. He cleared at 15-9 achieving a new seasonal best. Both went up to 16-0. Coulon missed on his first two tries at that height, Jatis got a good second attempt just clearing the bar. He had the lead and the tactical advantage.

Coulon passed his third attempt at 16-0 instead having the bar raised to 16-3. This was an all or nothing attempt. Make it and he puts the pressure on Jatis. Miss it and his night was over. It was a good attempt but he just nipped the bar.

Jatis had the meet won but he continued on looking for personal bests. His first two attempts at 16-3 were good. His third attempt was better just clearing the standard and achieving a new personal best along with the Summit Championship. The bar went up to 16-6. He had three good attempts but just was running out of energy. He took 11 total attempts during the meet. The 16-6 tries give him something to build on when he competes at Plainfield North next weekend.

“It was definitely a new experience for the season. This competition was great. It pushes everyone to get to the next level and improve,” Jatis said. “Getting over 16-3 was big. Its baby steps I guess and it is early in the season. Illinois Top Times is coming up. The meet record is 16-11. I’ve got my eyes on that record.”