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Zurich second behind her friend in the pole vault

BRIAN FEES/For The Sun-Gazette Hailey Zurich of Loyalsock clears the pole vault Saturday.

SHIPPENSBURG — Coming into Saturday’s state meet at Seth Grove Stadium at Shippensbug University, South Williamsport’s Katie Jones and Loyalsock’s Hailey Zurich had a goal together. The two, who have become fairly good friends over the past year, wanted to place together on the podium. But more importantly, they wanted to go 1-2 at the very top.

It wasn’t exactly how Zurich may have wanted it to happen — given she had to share the second-place spot with two other girls — but they still stood side by side on the podium.

Jones won gold with a vault of 13 feet, 4 inches and Zurich was in a three-way tie for second place after clearing 11-0.

Zurich failed to clear 11-6, which would have given her sole possession of second place. On her third attempt, the Loyalsock sophomore did clear the bar, but her pole slowly fell backwards, knocking the bar off and preventing her from trying for a new PR of 12 feet.

“My run was not consistent today. It was definitely a battle just trying to get my foot on to get a good plant to actually finish the jump, but I don’t think it was there today,” Zurich said. “As much as I want the height, I have to realize that not everything’s going to go the way you want it to and you have to take what you’re dealt and silver’s definitely not bad.”

Zurich easily cleared 10 feet on her first attempt and missed 10-6 on her first before clearing it on her second. Zurich was then the only District 4 competitor to clear the bar at 11-0, as Jones passed on all heights until 12-0. Jones was the lone competitor at 12 feet and only missed two vaults between that height and 13-4 before she missed her attempts at a new state record of 13-8.

“I helped coach her, and she helped me get through (my stress fracture injury),” Jones said. “When I don’t win meets, she does, and if I’m not there, she is. She helped me get through it, let me help her out and we got really close throughout the season. I’m just so proud of her.”

For Zurich, placing right next to her good friend meant more than she could imagine.

“(It means) everything. It’s great, especially since she’s been by my side the entire season,” Zurich said. “I’m glad to be by her side.”

Zurich improved from last year’s state meet, going from a fourth-place finish to taking second on Saturday. And slowly climbing the podium stand as just a sophomore is something Jones is excited seeing about her friend.

“She has a couple more years. She’s going to be really good,” Jones said of Zurich. “Watch out for her.”

Jones and Zurich were two of three District 4 athletes to place on the podium, as Towanda’s Ally Tama took eighth. Warrior Run’s Rylie Mong didn’t reach the podium, but did clear 10 feet, 6 inches on her first attempt before missing on all three at 11-0. District 4 had all five of its competitors — Jones, Zurich, Tama, Mong and Central’s Emma Padner — in the competition at 11-0.

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