WICHITA — Maggie Wilson has always had the confidence as she stood on the runway that she was about to clear the bar no matter what the height. Throughout her senior season for Iola High, she dealt with less-than-ideal weather conditions as she competed in the pole vault .
Nothing was distracting her Saturday. Not the cool weather, the on-and-off-and-on again misting, the wind and not the crowd that is always at the final day of the Kansas All-Class State Track and Field Championships at Wichita State’s Cessna Stadium.
“I felt really good throughout the competition. I was used to that type of weather because it seems we had it almost in all of our meets this season,” Wilson said. “Sure, I would have liked to have cleared 12 feet and continued the event but I’m happy with where I finished.”
Wilson cleared 11 feet, 6 inches and captured the silver medal in the 2011 Class 4A girls’ pole vault. Jamie House of El Dorado became the four-time 4A champion by clearing 12 feet.
Wilson, who holds the Iola High girls’ record at 11’6”, cleared 11 feet on her first attempt then went over at 11’6” on her second attempt at that height Saturday. House and Wilson were the final two competitors in the event.
House cleared 12 feet, equalling the state meet mark she set last year, on her first attempt. Wilson had two close encounters with the bar at that height but the bar came down both times.
“Those two attempts were good but I just didn’t have it on my third one which I just ran through it. I was a little emotional but I think my dad was more so,” Wilson said of her final attempt at the pole vault in high school. Larry Wilson has been the IHS pole vault coach throughout her four years.
“I was pleased with second place. I’m excited that I can go after 12 feet next year in college.”
Wilson tied for sixth in the 4A pole vault as a freshman, setting the IHS record at 10’6” in 2008. As a sophomore she qualified for state but suffered a concussion the week of the meet when her pole broke during practice.
Last year, Wilson returned to the state track meet and earned the bronze medal. Wilson is a three-time Southeast Kansas League pole vault champion and 4A regional meet champion.
What was different about this state meet than the others? Wilson had an IHS teammate at the meet competing in the same event. Sophomore Breanna Stout finished 13th as she cleared 8 feet.
“She was a little nervous with the crowd but now she knows what to expect. I think she has a good shot of getting back to state next year,” Wilson said.
Iola High seniors Kirstin McGuffin and Charles Apt also finished their track careers at the state meet Saturday. McGuffin ended up 11th in the 4A girls’ discus with a throw of 104’11”. Apt placed 15th in the 4A boys’ javelin with a throw of 140 feet.
“Charles was trying too hard I think to break the school record. It was his first time at the state meet and you can’t over-power the javelin. You only get three attempts,” said Marvin Smith, IHS head track coach.
“Overall, I thought we performed well. Our girls’ 4×100-meter relay team ran its fastest time of the season in Friday’s preliminaries. I was happy to see Maggie get the silver medal.”
On Friday, Wilson combined with juniors Kendra Taiclet and Kelsey Larson and sophomore Chanel Coyne in the 4×100-meter relay preliminaries. They ran the race in 51.67 seconds, finishing seventh in the heat, and did not advance to the finals.
“We had good handoffs and ran well. I felt bad for Kendra as she ran the ninth-fastest time in the 100-meter high hurdle preliminaries and they take eight to the finals. She hadn’t practiced for three weeks but just competed on meet day because of her hip,” Smith said.
The same thing happened to Larson in the 400-meter dash preliminaries. She ran fourth in her heat in 61.55 seconds, which was the ninth-fastest time. Taiclet ran the 200-meter dash heat race in 27.59 seconds and didn’t reach the finals.
Wilson skies for silver at state
