Rising La Costa Canyon senior Garrett Brown, right, celebrates with his older brother Kyle at the Vaulter Magazine High School Nationals on Friday night where the young Brown set a CIF-San Diego Section record. (Photo: Zoe Medranda)
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Friday night's Vaulter Magazine-sponsored High School Nationals held at the Vaulter Club private facility in 
Menifee, saw Anthony Meacham, a rising junior at Woodsboro (TX) High clear 17-2.75 to win the national boys competition, beating rising senior Garrett Brown of Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon HS, who hit a personal best of 16-10.75, the highest vault ever by a CIF-San Diego Section athlete.
In the girls competition, University of Kansas-bound Taylor Starkey from Queen Creek (AZ) Casteel HS, defeated Samara McConnell, a rising senior at Gilbert (AZ) Perry HS, both with 13-1.50 clearances.
Meacham (Zoe Medranda photo) opened at 15-9 and cleared his first three heights without a miss. After Brown scratched following his record clearance, Meacham pushed the bar to a PR of 17-2.75, which he cleared on his first attempt. He then took three attempts at 17-7.
Brown opened at 14-9 and was clean through both 15-3 and 15-9 before needing three attempts to get over 16-2.75. It took another three attempts to move past 16-6.75, a half inch short of his PR. The bar then moved to 16-10.75, where he cleared on his second attempt, his 11th of the competition.
Hunter Kasprzyk, a 2020 graduate of Gilbert (AZ) Highland HS, was third in a significant PR of 16-6.75.
Starkey, the 2019 Arizona state champion who was runner-up at the National Pole Vault Summit indoors over the winter, opened with a clearance at 12-1.50, cleared on her second attempt at both 12-7.50 and 13-1.50 before missing at 13-7.25. It was the third title for Starkey in five outdoor meets in 2020.
McConnell, who cleared 13-0 outdoors in February, was clean to open at 11-7.75, needed three attempts before getting over at 12-1.50, cleared 12-7.50 on her first attempt, and then got over her PR of 13-1.50 on her second attempt before missing at 13-7.25, taking 10 jumps in the competition.
Heather Abadie, a rising senior at Baton Rouge (LA) St. Michael, was third at 12-7.50. Abadie had hit a 13-4 PR two weeks ago in gaining her fourth title in as many meets outdoors in 2020.
Check out Vaulter Magainze Nationals event coverage:
- INTERVIEWS (including with Meacham, Brown and McConnell)
- PHOTOS (500-plus image photo gallery by Zoe Medranda)