Call it an appetizer for this season from Ridgewood senior Kayla Polcari. The pole vaulter set a new Bergen County record at the recent Penn Relays when she cleared 12-feet-5-1/2 inches and finished second in the event of the prestigious relays, considered one of the top relays in the United States. "I was ecstatic and my goal was to get a personal record," said Polcari.
The only other high school girl to jump higher than Polcari was Cameron Overstreet of Atlee, Virginia.
Coming into the Penn Relays her personal bests were 12-feet-2-3/4 outdoors and 12-3 indoors. Even during the meet it was sort of a surprise for Polcari that she was able to clear the 12-5 ½ height.
"I was getting a little nervous because I had to take a couple of times to make each height," said Polcari.
But with a new 13-foot-7-inch pole the Ridgewood senior came through and even surpassed her goal with the county record.
It was even more impressive because the weather was not good and the high school pole vault event was moved indoors because of the bad weather.
But for Polcari and her coach Jacob Brown, this is just the start. "I think she is just a "good vault day" away from 13-feet," said Brown.
The next stop for Polcari will be the Bergen County Group Championships this weekend. Kayla won the Bergen County Group A pole vault last season in clearing 11-feet-6-inches. She then would come in second in the Bergen County Meet of Champions.
And when the smoke clears in June at the State Meet of Champions, Polcari wants that 13 feet to be placed on her high school resume.
While she was nervous during the competition at the Penn Relays, Polcari was feeling good before heading south to Philly. "I had a pretty good week of practice coming in," said Polcari.
The Maroons senior has been competing in the pole vault since she was in eighth grade as she was following around her sister Ann as she competed in the pole vault. Ann Polcari is competing in the event at the University of Notre Dame as a junior.
And that is where Kayla Polcari will be attending this fall. The senior said that the university is a family university with several family members having attended the South Bend, Indiana college.
While there is a lot of physical workout for the pole vault, there is more to it. "It is a very mental sport," said Kayla who added that part of it is getting past the thought of an injury. "You are putting a lot of trust in a fiberglass pole."
The record that was set was a big confidence builder for Polcari who had a difficult junior season. "I had a pretty rocky season," said Polcari. "By the end of the season I was over analyzing things and I have been working on that."
She started her comeback in her senior season in the indoor season where she performed well throughout most of the winter; a precursor for what she hopes will be an even bigger end of the season.
"She has made great progress since her nine-foot vault in ninth grade and she will do well at states as one of the top ranked vaulters," said Brown.
When she is not working out with Ridgewood, she attends the Hudson Valley Flying Circus in Warwick, a club specifically for pole vaulters.
