At Clark Middle School’s track, the sun beat down as the girls track and field team ran warm-up laps. They had already been weightlifting for an hour at Lake Central and then took a bus to the track. The team practices four days a week for two hours each time.

“We start with two 100-yard sprints before we start pole vaulting. Then, Assistant Coach Allen-Breski helps us set up,” Kayla Capshaw (10) said.

The five pole vaulters begin to count their steps and mark their starting spots. They all made successful passes that pleased the coach. She gave tips and advised the team how they could be better.

“I love it. [Pole Vaulting] is my passion. The coaches encourage us to do our best, ” Brooke Lambert (12) said.

The girls on the track team that want to pole vault talk to their coach. Coach Ron Fredrick is picks who on the team would make good pole vaulters. After a few weeks of practicing, the girls continue to improve to meet their coach’s expectations as well as their own. Since the team usually places first, second or third and went undefeated in their season last year, the pressure is heavy. However, they plan on performing well at competitions this year.