From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank

Haddonfield’s Rebecca Hoover moved into the all-time Penn top-10 in the pole vault with a PR 12-8 ½ Saturday in Princeton.

Hoover increased her PR from 12-8, which she cleared at the 2024 Camden County Championships at Haddon Township. She just cleared a collegiate PR of 12-7 ½ at Widener last month.

Hoover’s 12-8 ½ is No. 9 on the all-time Penn list.

At the Ivy League Championships Saturday at Weaver Stadium, Hoover cleared 11-10 ¾ and 12-4 ¾ on her 1^stattempt and 12-8 ¾ on her 3^rd. She finished 8^th and was second among freshmen behind Princeton’s Lotte Gretzler, who attended Schule Für Hochbegabtenförderung High School in Schwabenheim, Germany.

Here’s my best attempt at an all-time South Jersey women’s pole vault alumni list! Who’s missing?

14-4 1/2 … Kaitlyn Dermen [Millville], Jan. 31, 2025, New York
14-0 ¾ … Stephanie Maugham [Shawnee], April 6, 2002, Fresno, Calif.
13-8 … Anna Heim [Moorestown], May 13, 2010, Springfield, Mass.
13-5 ¼ … Hannah Byrd-Leitner [Moorestown], March 21, 2026, Charlottesville
13-5 … Danielle O’Reilly [Shawnee], Feb. 9, 2004, New York
13-3 ¾ … Ashley Preston [Delsea], April 17, 2021, Philadelphia
12-11 ½ … Jessica Kloss [Moorestown], May 16, 2009, Princeton
12-11 ½ … Julia Greeley [Seneca], Feb. 7, 2025, Staten Island
12-9 ½ … Casey Sturts [Buena], March 2, 2018, Boston
12-8 3/4 … Gabrielle Vetere [Washington Twp.], Jan. 31, 2025, New York
12-8 ½ … Rebecca Hoover [Haddonfield], May 16, 2026, Princeton