Sabatino, Shipley Shine at Meet of Champions

The girls winter track team came away with two medals Saturday at the state winter track Meet of Champions, as Marlena Sabatino placed second and Emily Shipley was fourth in the pole vault.

Sabatino, only a sophomore, cleared the 12-foot mark, which matched her best at last week’s Group 4 meet. With only two jumpers left at 12 feet, Southern Regional’s Chelsea Vaughan cleared 12 feet, 6 inches on her last attempt. Sabatino, needing to clear the height had a great attempt but fell just short. Shipley, who is nursing a sore back, cleared 11 feet, 6 inches.

Both Sabatino and Shipley started vaulting as freshman during the spring outdoor season after seeing it at an HHS track meet.

“I saw Miranda [recently graduated Miranda Reinson] jumping and she needed a relay partner so I started jumping that spring” Shipley said.

Sabatino took a similar path. A gymnast since she was very young, she also saw the pole vault at an HHS meet.

“When I saw the pole vault I thought it looked exciting and wanted to give it a try,” she said.

In her freshman and sophomore seasons Sabatino competed for the HHS gymnastics team in the fall. But her success in the pole vault this season has made her unsure if she will continue gymnastics next year.

“Pole vaulting is definitely my priority now” she said.

Both Sabatino and Shipley credit their summer training at the Apex Vaulting Camp and the competition between teammates as main reasons for their vast improvements since last season.

“As a freshman I only did 9 feet, 6 inches but I didn’t have the proper technique," Sabatino explained. "The summer camp taught me the right techniques. It also helps to have a great teammate to push you. When you’re at the top levels is all about the competition, but the friendship also helps”.

Together Sabatino and Shipley make up one of the state's top duos. On Tuesday they will compete in the Eastern States Championships at the New York City Armory. Both have qualified for Nationals in two weeks.

Hillsborough’s other qualifier for the state championship meet, senior Alexandra Cady, placed 17th in the 3200-meter run with a time of 11:15.32. Cady’s time was a new personal best in the event and a 12-second improvement from her qualifying time at last week’s Group 4 meet.