Washington Township senior Gabby Ventere moved into the all-time South Jersey top-10 in the pole vault Saturday with a personal-best 11-6 clearance at Fast Times at Cherokee High.
Ventere is now No. 2 in Gloucester County history, behind only Delsea graduate Ashley Preston, a three-time Big East champion for Villanova. Preston cleared 12-7 ½ when she placed 3rd at the 2018 Penn Relays. Ventere equalled the No. 7 mark in South Jersey history.
Coming into the meet, Ventere had a PR of 11-0 from the indoor Meet of Champions at the Bubble, where she placed third. Her outdoor PR was 10-0, which she cleared last weekend at the Husky Relays in Matawan. Before last week, her outdoor PR was 9-0 from Group 4 states last spring at Franklin.
On Saturday, Ventere passed the first five heights before entering the competition with a first-attempt clearance at 9-6. She cleared 10-0 on her second attempt to clinch the victory, then sailed over the bar at 10-6 and 11-0 on her first attempts before moving the bar up to 11-6, which she cleared on her second try. She took three tries at 12 feet, which only five South Jersey girls have ever cleared.
Here are all the 11-foot vaulters in South Jersey history:
13- 3… Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004
12- 7 1/2 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
12- 0 … Jessica Kloss [Moorestown], 2005
12- 0 … Brittney Raffo [Seneca], 2017
12- 0 … Fiona Basewitz [Collingswood], 2021
11-10 … Kaitlin Dermen [Millville], 2014
11- 6 … Lauren Tauscher [Moorestown], 2007
11- 6 … Gabby Ventere [Washington Twp.], 2022
11- 4 … Melissa Gale [Millville], 2006
11- 3 … Jennifer Scott [Haddonfield], 2019
11- 2 … Tracey Masterson [Mainland Reg.], 2012
11- 1 3/4 … Kristin Weigel [Pennsville], 2010
11- 0 1/2 … Emily Waldron [Triton], 2014
11- 0 … Colleen McDowell [Seneca], 2011
11- 0 … Alexandra Elder [Moorestown], 2012
11- 0 … Casey Sturts [Buena], 2013
11- 0 … Alana Cohen [Cherry Hill East], 2018
11- 0 … Lindsey Michie [Northern Burlington], 2018
11- 0 … Sarah Parr [Audubon], 2019
11- 0 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], 2006
11- 0 … Allyson Brooks [Moorestown], 2007
11- 0 … Katherine Gray [Triton], 2010
11- 0 … Elizabeth Douglas [West Deptford], 2015
11- 0 … Christina Kursewicz [Clearview], 2012
11- 0 … Elissa Ingram [Kingsway], 2011
All-Time Gloucester County Pole Vault List
12- 7 1/2 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
11- 6 … Gabby Ventere [Washington Twp.], 2022
11- 0 … Elizabeth Douglas [West Deptford], 2015
11- 0 … Christina Kursewicz [Clearview], 2012
11- 0 … Elissa Ingram [Kingsway], 2011
10-10 … Miranda Roberts [Washington Twp.], 2012
10-10 … Katie Selfridge [Delsea], 2014
10- 9 … Lexi Brown [Delsea], 2013
10- 6 … Claudia Theriault [West Deptford], 2013
10- 6 … Kaitllyn Smith [Gateway], 2019
10- 6 … Erin Gray [Kingsway], 2017
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 