Clearing 11 feet, four inches, Palmer Ridge senior Grace Szucs won the 2019 4A girls pole vault state championship Thursday at Jefferson County Stadium.
“I was hopeful, but I wasn’t sure, so it feels good,” Szcus said after she came in first place.
She set a personal record in the win, beating out her previous record of 11 feet, one inch by three inches. On the podium after the event, Szucs stood next to Lewis-Palmer sophomore Alexa Oatman, who finished as the runner-up.
“She’s actually one of my good friends,” Szucs said of Oatman. “We were both on the same gymnastics team. She and I were both neck and neck, she was seeded above me, so I figured it would come down to the two of us. I really wanted her to do well, but I also wanted to do well.”
“We’ve been friends for years, so it was really fun to do that,” Oatman said. “I’m glad she won because she’s a senior and she had her moment. Next year, I’ll have my moment as first.”
