Albany’s senior vaulter jumps at state track meet

Senior pole vaulter Caroline Masters matched her personal record at the UIL State Track Meet last Saturday, clearing 10-6 for sixth place in the Class 2A division.

The vaulter improved her jump and her placing over last year’s seventh place finish in the event.

“Caroline didn’t clear 10-6 until her third attempt, which was the difference in third and sixth this year,” coach Lauren Peacock said. “If she had cleared on her first attempt, she would have gotten third.”

Peacock said that the event was delayed after the 10-06 height for rain. When the action resumed, the top two finishers both cleared 11 feet, with a Woodsboro competitor taking first with 12-06, followed by a girl from Crawford with a jump of 12-03.

“Caroline had a very good attempt at 11 feet, barely touching the bar,” the coach said. 

Peacock added that she was glad the rain delay came late in the competition.

“That certainly made it better for the first part of the vaulting competition,” Peacock said. “A long delay can be a big mental game, so luckily Caroline had finished before the rain got there.”

The coach said that Masters was disappointed about not getting on the medal stand, but it was still a strong finish to her high school career.

“Being at the state meet is always a great way to end the season,” Peacock said. “I am so proud of how Caroline represented us. She put in a lot of hard work and dedication, and it paid off.”

Masters thanked those who guided her over the years.

“Getting to state was really fun,” she said. “There have been a lot of people who went the extra mile to make my senior track season special, and I really appreciate it.”