From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Before this year, only five girls in South Jersey history had cleared 12 feet in the pole vault either indoors or outdoors.

Only once – back in 2004 – had even two South Jersey girls cleared 12-0 the same year. That was Shawnee’s Danielle O’Reilly, who set the national indoor record of 13-5 at the Ridgewood Varsity Classic at the Armory, and Moorestown’s Jessica Kloss, who cleared 12-0 two weeks later at Easterns, also at the Armory, where she placed 2nd to O’Reilly (who cleared 13-0 that day).

So Friday was the most successful pole vaulting day ever for South Jersey.

Moorestown junior Hannah Byrd-Leitner won the Group 3 vault with a personal-best and meet-record 12-7 clearance. Haddon Heights senior Quin Zacamy – the No. 4 seed – won the Group 2 vault with a big PR of 12-0 – and Haddonfield junior Rebecca Hoover – who shares the No. 1 New Jersey ranking this year at 12-8 – placed 2nd to Zacamy on misses in Group 2.

Going into the Meet of Champions Wednesday, Byrd-Leitner is the No. 1 seed and Zacamy, Hoover and Dumont sophomore Jenna Monaco – 3rd in Group at 12-0 – share the No. 2 seed.

On the all-time state outdoor list, Hoover is tied for 5th with her 12-8 from ther Camden County Championships at Haddon Township last month. Byrd-Leitner is No. 10 with hr 12-7 on Friday. On the all-time South Jersey list, they are No. 2 and 4, and Zacamy is tied for 5th.

For Byrd-Leitner, her PR was one inch over her 12-6 from an indoor meet in Conshohocken, Pa., last Dec. 30. She cleared 11-7 last spring. HBL was clean through 12-0, where she had the event won, and then had the bar raised to the meet-record 12-7, which she cleared on her 2nd attempt. She gave 12-9 three tries as well. She’s Moorestown’s first state champion since another pole vaulter, Lauren Tauscher, who won Group 3 at 11-6 in 2009.

Hoover’s PR is 12-8 from last month, and she’s been clearing 11-6 or better routinely since the start of indoors.

But Zacamy is new to this rarified territory.

She first cleared 10-0 last spring and had improved to 11-6 by the Meet of Champions, where she placed 8th. She hit 11-0 indoors and took 2nd at Group 2 states, behind only Hoover. She placed 2nd to Hoover at the Camden County meet at 11-6 before hitting 12-0 for the first time on Friday on her 1st attempt.

The last South Jersey girl to win the Meet of Champions pole vault was Seneca’s Brittany Raffo at 12-0 in 2016. The only ther winner since the event was added in 1999 is O’Reilly in 2003 and 2004 at 11-6 both years,

All-Time New Jersey Outdoor Pole Vault List
13-5 ¼ … Hayley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018
13-3… Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004
13-0 … Emma Keating [Pompton Lakes], 2023
13-0 … Caroline Dannenbaum [Pingry School], 2018
12-8 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2016
12-8 … Rebecca Hoover [Haddonfield[, 2024
12-8 … Shreya Sathiyan [Morris Hills], 2024
12-7 ½ … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
12-7 ¼ … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2008
12-7 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010
12-7 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018
12-7 … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], 2024
12-6 ¾ … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012
12-6 ½ … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], 2005
12-6 ½ … Sydney Woods [Demarest], 2018
12-6 … Chrissy Finkel [Montville], 2008
12-6 … Jen Holly [Barnegat], 2008
12-6 … Riley Larson [Point Pleasant Borough], 2019
12-6 … Marlena Sabatino [Hillsborough], 2012
12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Demarest], 2017
12-6 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010
12-6 … Jen Holly [Barnegat], 2008
12-6 … Jessica Ippolito [Fair Lawn], 2017

All-Time New Jersey Combined Indoor/Outdoor Pole Vault List
13-5 ¼ … Hayley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018 [o]
13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [i]
13-0 ¾ … Sydney Woods [Demarest], 2018 [i]
13-0 … Emma Keating [Pompton Lakes], 2023 [o]
13-0 … Caroline Dannenbaum [Pingry School], 2018 [o]
13-0 ½ … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017 [i]
12-8 … Rebecca Hoover [Haddonfield[, 2024 [o]
12-8 … Shreya Sathiyan [Morris Hills], 2024 [o]
12-7 ½ … Chrissy Finkel [Montville], 2008 [i]
12-7 ½ … Jen Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [i]
12-7 ½ … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018 [o]
12-7 ¼ … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2008 [o]
12-7 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010 [o]
12-7 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018 [o]
12-7 … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], 2024 [o]
12-6 ¾ … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Reg.], 2012 [o]
12-6 ½ … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], 2005 [o]
12-6 ½ … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010 [i]
12-6 … Julianne Toto [Middletown South], 2005 [i]
12-6 … Jen Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [i, o]
12-6 … Riley Larson [Point Pleasant Borough], 2019 [o]
12-6 … Marlena Sabatino [Hillsborough], 2012 [o]
12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Demarest], 2017 [i, o]
12-6 … Jessica Ippolito [Fair Lawn], 2017 [o]
12-6 … Juilia Tannenbaum [Pingry School], 2017 [i]
12-6 … Francesca Porambo [Bernards], 2018

All-Time South Jersey Outdoor Pole Vault List
13-3… Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004
12-8 … Rebecca Hoover [Haddonfield[, 2024
12-7 ½ … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018
12-7 … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], 2024
12-0 … Jessica Kloss [Moorestown], 2005
12-0 … Brittney Raffo [Seneca], 2016
12-0 … Fiona Basewitz [Collingswood], 2021
12-0 … Quin Zacamy [Haddon Heights], 2024
11-10 … Kate Derman [Millville], 2014
11-9 … Julia Greeley [Seneca], 2021

All-Time South Jersey Indoor / Outdoor Pole Vault List
13-5… Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], 2004 [i]
12-8 … Rebecca Hoover [Haddonfield[, 2024 [o]
12-7 ½ … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018 [o]
12-7 … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], 2024 [o]
12-0 … Jessica Kloss [Moorestown], 2005 [i, o]
12-0 … Brittney Raffo [Seneca], 2017 [o]
12-0 … Fiona Basewitz [Collingswood], 2021 [o]
12-0 … Quin Zacamy [Haddon Heights], 2024 [o]
11-10 … Kate Derman [Millville], 2014 [o]
11-9 … Julia Greeley [Seneca], 2021 [o]

All-Time Meet of Champions Pole Vault List
13-5 ¼ … Haley Horvath [Notre Dame], 2018 [1]
13-0 … Emma Keating [Pompton Lakes], 2023 [1]
12-6 … Kelly Burke [Cranford], 2010 [1]
12-6 … Emily Urciuoli [Clifton], 2010 [2]
12-6 …….. Urciuoli, 2009 [1]
12-6 … Nicole Pompei [Hanover Park], 2008 [1]
12-6 … Jen Holly [Barnegat], 2008 [2]
12-6 … Leah Saifi [Governor Livingston], 2017 [1]
12-6 … Michelle Rubinetti [Northern Valley], 2017 [2]
12-6 … Jessica Ippolito [Fair Lawn], 2017 [3]
12-6 … Caroline Dannenbaum [Pingry School], 2018 [2]
12-6 … Melissa Purcell [Pascack Valley], 2018 [3]
12-6 …….. Purcell, 2017 [4]
12-6 … Ashley Preston [Delsea], 2018 [4]
12-3 … Natalie Gengel [Princeton], 2006 [1]
12-0 … Chelsea Hartigan [Ramapo], 2010 [t3]
12-0 … Catherine Shih [Bernards], 2010 [t3]
12-0 … Stephanie Skove [Monmouth Regional], 2010 [5]
12-0 …….. Pompei, 2009 [2]
12-0 … Chrissy Finkel [Montville], 2009 [3]
12-0 …….. Burke, 2009 [4]
12-0 … Michelle Favre [Saddle Brook], 2009 [5]
12-0 … Chrissy Finkel [Montville], 2008 [3]
12-0 …….. Holly, 2007 [1]
12-0 … Kristen Hafford [Warren Hills], 2005 [1]
12-0 … Jessica Kloss [Moorestown], 2005 [2]
12-0 … Olivia Kalinowska [Pinelands], 2002 [1]
12-0 … Chelsea Vaughan [Southern Regional], 2012 [1]
12-0 … Marlena Sabatino [Hillsborough], 2014 [1]
12-0 … Kaitlyn Rymarzow [Pope John XXIII], 2015 [1]
12-0 … Brittany Raffo [Seneca], 2016 [1]
12-0 …….. Rubinetti, 2016 [2]
12-0 … Julia Dannenbaum [The Pingry School], 2016 [3]
12-0 … Francesa Porambo [Bernards], 2017 [T5]
12-0 …….. J. Dannenbaum, 2017 [t5]
12-0 …….. Horvath, 2017 [7]
12-0 … Sydney Woods [Demarest], 2018 [5]
12-0 … Riley Larsen [Point Pleasant], 2018 [6]
12-0 …….. Larsen, 2019 [1]
12-0 …….. C. Dannenbaum, 2019 [2]
12-0 … Lauren Cashman [Montgomery], 2021 [1]
12-0 … Randi Conroy [Northern Highlands], 2021 [2]
12-0 … Fiona Basewitz [Collingswood], 2021 [3]
12-0 … Elizabeth Fitzgerald [Montclair], 2021 [4]
12-0 … Jenna Engels [Piscataway], 2021 [5]
12-0 …….. Keating, 2022 [1]
12-0 …….. Fitzgerald, 2022 [2]
12-0 … Magdalena O’Reilly [Watchung Hills], 2024 [2]
12-0 … Ella Karolewski [Montgomery], 2024 [3]