Callahan, Toney Soar as CA Vaulters Rule Summit

Ashley Callahan poses after winning at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno. (Photo courtesy of Mike Wagenveld)

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California's Ashley Callahan and Scott Toney walked away with top awards after soaring to new heights on Saturday at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno. 

Callahan, a junior at Rancho Bernardo (SD), who trains with the North County Pole Vault Club in Escondido, captured the top high school honor girls with a best of 13 feet, 4 inches to beat Arizona's Taylor Starkey, who also cleared 13-04, on misses. Starkey is a Kansas commit with a best of 13-05.

At the 2019 Reno Summit, Callahan was third in the Girls 2 Division with a 12-foot clearance.

Toney, a senior at Mountain View St. Francis (CC), topped the HS Boys 1 Division with a huge 17-04 personal best clearance. Toney, a University of Pennsylvania recruit, had previous bests of 16-00 indoor and 16-01.50 outdoor.

Toney (at right in file photo) outlasted Bradley Jelmert and Landon Helms, who both cleared 16-10. All three are among the top 12 returners outdoor in the U.S. Jelmert is a senior from Warren (NJ) Watchung Hills Reg. HS headed to Arkansas State, who had previously cleared 16-07.25 indoor and 16-01.50 outdoor. Helms, a sophomore from Emmett (ID) HS, had a previous best of 16-00.75 indoor. 

A year ago at Reno, Toney cleared 16-00, to win the Boys 2 Division. He placed third at the CIF-State Meet with a clearance of 16-01 and is the top returner from the CA Championships. 

Other Golden State vaulters of note:

Caiden Macktinger, a senior at Del Oro (SJ) cleared 16-04 for sixth place in Boys 1 Division. 

Garrett Brown, a junior at La Costa Canyon (SD) who also trains with North County Pole Vault Club, cleared 16-02 for second place in Boys 2 Division, losing on misses.

A year go at this event, Macktinger went 14-06 and Brown went 14-04.

Tyler Burns, a senior at Oak Ridge (SJ), who was sixth at the State Meet last May, cleared 15-10 to tie for seventh in the Boys 1 Division. Burns cleared 14-02 at this event last year.

Callahan is among the nation's top returning vaulters after hitting a 13-06 PR last spring at the Mt. SAC Relays and winning the State Meet at 13-04.

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Also in Girls 1 Division, Westlake junior Paige Sommers, who also has a best of 13-06, cleared 12-10 to place third, and Poway senior Katerina Adamiec cleared 12-04 for was sixth (12-4). Both are returning CIF-State Meet medalists. Adamiec, a UCLA commit who has an outdoor PR of 13 feet and placed sixth at State at 12-08, went 10-10 at this Reno Summit last year.

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Inserted photo above: Ashley Callahan poses with Mike Wagenveld, the coach of the North County Pole Vault Club, at the 2020 Pole Vault Summit in Reno. (Photo courtesy of Mike Wagenveld)