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Taylor Made: Waynesburg’s Shriver wins gold in pole vault

2 min read
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SHIPPENSBURG – This time, everything fell into place.

The right sized poles were sprawled along the waiting area just a few feet from her reach.

The steps toward the landing area were, for the most part, on the mark.

And the effort was outstanding.

Taylor Shriver, a senior at Waynesburg High School, took home gold Friday in the PIAA Class AA Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University.

Her height of 13-0 set a school record she held and put her in elite status with the other great pole vaulters at the school. The list includes Jocelyn Lindsay, the first female to win the event when the PIAA first offered the event at its tournament, and Marissa Kalsey, who has been a strong mentor to Shriver and influenced her college choice, Akron University.

“My confidence was way up,” said Shriver. “We practiced a couple days ago and I was crushing poles, and it continued to go up when I cleared my opening height (of 11-0).”

The poles had been a problem for Shriver. Either she had poles that were underweight or ones that were overweight. For one reason or another, she always seemed to have the wrong pole.

Not Friday.

“I had more than enough poles today,” said Shriver with a laugh.

The weather was near perfect, a brisk but welcoming breeze under a sheet of clouds and temperatures around 70. Shriver came in at 11-0 and only Corrine Brewer of Greensburg Central Catholic could hang with Shriver.

And when Shriver hit 11-0 then sent Brewer home by clearing 11-06, the Greensburg Central Catholic junior was dispatched to her tent in tears.

Meanwhile, Shriver kept climbing. She hit 12-0, then passed 12-6, then 13-0, resetting her own school record.

Then she tried 13-4½. which is the state record set in 2017 by Katie Jones of Southern Williamsport. The national record sits at 14-04 and was set in 2017 by Rachel Baxter of Anaheim Catholic High School in California.

“I came in at 11-0 instead of 11-6 so there wouldn’t be as much pressure,” said Shriver.

The summer holds only training for Shriver, who is considering passing on competing in open meets in order to save the wear and tear on her body.

“We’ll see what happens,” she said. “But for now, I’m going to say no.”

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