Talk about being in the right place at the right time! MileSplit CA photographer Lizette Adams was at the Orange County Championships this past weekend, and she was able to be in position to capture two of the best performances in the state (and indeed, in the nation) this outdoor season.
Rachel Baxter (Canyon) continued her torrid streak of elite vaulting this spring, soaring over 14' 3" to move up to 4th on the US All-Time Performer list! In fact, the mark puts her in the top 30 in the world, all ages, according to IAAF rankings. Needless to say, it was an improvement on the US #1 ranking she already held, and you have to wonder how much higher the Canyon senior can go this spring! I would love to see her compete at the Olympic Trials this summer against professionals, just to see if that would bring out something even better in her.
See Rachel Baxter's Vault in a Photo Series on the Next Slide!
Not to be outdone, Jett Gordon (Marina) became the latest California male to clear 17 feet, going 17' 1" to move up to US #3 this season. Before Gordon's leap, the last to achieve that height was Ventura's Jake David in 2014; before him, Michael Woepse (Mater Dei) in 2010. Gordon still has some work to do to challenge the US leader, Armand Duplantis, who has cleared 17' 9" this season and has a PR of 18' 0.5", but this is certainly a big step along that path for the Marina senior.
See Jett Gordon's Vault in a Photo Series on the Third Slide!
