Moorestown senior Hannah Byrd-Leitner became the first South Jersey girl ever to win the Meet of Champions pole vault Sunday at Ocean Breeze.
Byrd-Leitner, the Meet of Champions winner outdoors in June with her PR 13-2, cleared 12-6 Sunday. She had just recorded an indoor PR of 13-0 when she won the state Group 3 title at the Bubble a week earlier.
Byrd-Leitner passed up through 10-6 and then cleared 11-0, 11-6 and 12-0 on her 1st attempt. With the bar going up to 12-6, only Byrd-Leitner and Dumont junior Jenna Monaco were still in the competition, although Monaco had two misses at 11-6. Byrd-Leitner cleared 12-6 on her 2nd attempt and Monaco failed to clear the bar, giving Byrd-Leitner the win.
She took three attempts at a meet-record 13-0 but didn’t clear. Her 3rd attempt was her best, and she just grazed the bar on the way down, knocking it off the standards. Pingry’s Caroline Dannenbaum set the meet record of 12-7 in 2020.
The pole vault has been held at the Meet of Champions since 2005. The first 20 years, the best South Jersey jumpers were Millville’s Melissa Gale [2nd in 2006 at 11-6], Delsea’s Ashley Preston [2nd in 2018 at 12-6] and Haddonfield’s Rebecca Hoover [2nd in 2024 at 12-0].
Byrd-Leitner is Moorestown’s first indoor Meet of Champions winner in 26 years, since Amandi Rhett won the 55 in 7.13 in 1999.
Moorestown’s other indoor MoC winners were all high jumpers: Sandy Tokoto in 1990 [5-6] and 1991 [5-4] and Shatich Rivers in 1994 [5-6].
Hoover placed 3rd Sunday at 11-6 and three South Jersey jumpers – Haddon Township senior Emersen Levins, Paul VI junior Gianna Cianfrani and Pennsville senior Megan Morris – all had identical series and tied for 9th at 10-6.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 