Haddonfield junior Rebecca Hoover cleared 11-9 Thursday morning and placed 8th in the pole vault at the 128th annual Penn Relays at Franklin Field.
Hoover was one of 10 girls to clear 11-9 but by doing it on her 2nd attempt she placed higher than two girls who cleared it on their 3rd try.
The top New Jersey placer was Sherya Sathiyan of Morris Hills, who cleared 11-9 on her first attempt.
Hoover’s outdoor PR is 12-0, which she just cleared at a meet last weekend in Westfield. She’s cleared 12 feet four times indoors, including a lifetime-best 12-3 ¾ at Boston Nationals in March, which is No. 4 in South Jersey indoor history.
Hoover just began vaulting last year. In fact her first lifetime meet according to her MileSplit database was a year ago today in a dual meet at West Deptford, when she cleared 7-6. By states she had cleare 10-6. She cleared 11-6 for the first time early this past indoor season and 12 feet for the first time in January.
She ranks tied for 4th on the all-time South Jersey outdoor list with her 12-0 clearance last weekend.
Moorestown junior Hannah Byrd-Leitner, the state Group 3 champion indoors at 12-0, placed 11th with a first-attempt clearance at opening-height 11-3 on Thursday morning.
Pennsylvania vaulters went 1-2, with Veronica Vacca Mount St. Joseph Academy in Springfield Townshpi, Montgomery, clearing 13-1 on her 1st attempt and Madelyn Kelly of Villa Maria in Whiteland Township, Chester County, clearing 12-11 on her 2nd.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 
Hi Reuben. Rebecca is doing awesome (she’s good p.v. friends with my daughter and they train together). One quick correction though – Rebecca got 12’0″ at Westfield (not 12-9).Busy week for you with Penn Relays! Thanks for all of your efforts.ABL
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