PSJ's Walker wins pole vault at state AAU meet

PORT ST. JOE — Megan Walker raised her personal bar on Sunday at the Florida AAU Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships in Jacksonville.

The rising senior at Port St. Joe High School twice set personal bests in the pole vault while leaping past the competition and onto the gold medal stand. Walker won the state title in her age group and easily qualified for next month’s national championships in New Orleans.

“She had an excellent meet,” Coach Keith Chiles said. “She cleared every height (up to 13 feet) on her first jump. She was jumping really well.”

The field of 18 competitors was whittled to two by the time the bar reached 11 feet during Sunday’s finals.

That was the height Walker reached in taking second in the finals of the state Class 1A track and field championships during the 2011 high school season.

Walker reached the height without a miss and continued her perfection in clearing 11 feet on her first attempt. Her opponent also cleared and the two went to 11-6.

“Megan sailed over that,” Chiles said. When the other girl failed, Walker had the title.

With three misses left to use, Walker was allowed to raise the bar to whatever height she desired.

Having cleared 12 feet during qualifying rounds at the state high school meet, Chiles and Walker decided on 12-1, a personal best.

“We knew she could do it, we wanted her to at least set a personal best,” Chiles said.

Walker nailed it on her first try.

“She was on,” Chiles said. “The impressive thing was she was doing it with the shorter pole.”

Not yet entirely comfortable with the longer 14-foot pole she has been practicing with this summer, Walker returned to her 13-6 pole for the AAU Junior Olympic meet.

There is no restriction on which pole Walker uses during the AAU or high school season.

Chiles noted, however, that Walker weighed 108 pounds at the state AAU meet, 22 less than the 130 pounds the longer pole is geared for.

“That she is jumping with a pole that is 20 pounds beyond her weight is an accomplishment in itself,” Chiles said.

“We practiced with it before the meet and she just wasn’t there so we decided to just use the shorter pole. The track wasn’t long or fast enough for the 14-foot pole.

The bar was raised to 12-6 and Walker again was perfect on the first attempt, elevating her personal best.

“She was jumping 11-6 last summer and this summer she is at 12-6 so that is an increase of one foot in the course of one year,” Chiles said. “That is pretty good.

“And 12-6 is a big mark for her.”

Walker’s profile for colleges scholarships has increased significantly. The University of North Florida, which has a well-respected pole vaulting program, has been particularly interested, Chiles said.

Chiles said the next step on Sunday was to try and put Walker in the Top 10 nationally in her age group this summer by clearing 13 feet.

Walker had three solid attempts, Chiles said, but the bar clanged to the pit each time.

Walker will prep for the AAU Junior Olympics National meet by competing at the Disney Club Track and Field Championships in July.

Nationals are in New Orleans, where Walker won an age-group championship as a seventh-grader.