Attempting to grow the sport in the region while also showcasing area athletes, the Southwest Missouri Vault Club hosted a free pole vault exhibition and youth clinic on Monday night inside Webb City High School’s Cardinal Stadium.
“We’re excited to do this because it’s something we’ve never really had in Southwest Missouri before,” SWMO Vault Club founder/coach Nick Popejoy said. “We’ve talked about ways to try and grow our track program here in Webb City and we thought this would be a good idea.
“It’s also about introducing kids to something new,” Popejoy added. “Some kids I have in junior high have never seen a pole vault competition. We want to show them what it’s all about.”
The vault club features athletes from Webb City, Joplin and Carthage. Webb City’s Pryce Mason and Carthage’s Joe Nicholas were two of the local prep athletes who displayed their talents during the exhibition.
