Slaybaugh finishes career with PV championship

YAKIMA–Pirate thinclad Tyler Slaybaugh finished his high school track and field career with a new personal best and a first-place finish in the pole vault as the Pirate Track and Field Team competed at the 1B State meet here last week.

Slaybaugh added a third-place medal in the 100 m. dash and an eighth-place medal as one of the 4X100 m. Relay team, along with Jett Slusser, Jacob Reisinger and Boone Schmidt.

Carmen Fruh captured second in the pole vault with teammate Reagan McKeirnan in third and Tatum Jones in sixth, all for medals.

Levi Bowen took second in the pole vault behind Slaybaugh, and he finished third in the high jump.

Kaleb Miller, an eighth grader, was eighth in the 800 m. to bring home a medal.

Robby Van Vogt tied his personal best with an 8-6 vault to finish ninth and Jacob Reisinger vaulted 8-0 and ended up in 12th place.

"Tyler Slaybaugh had a great showing,' said Head Coach Adam Van Vogt. "First, he qualified for the 100 finals with an 11.19. The 11.19 tied the state meet record.

"Then he won the pole vault with an 12-9 vault, which is a new personal best and gives Tyler his second state championship to pair with his 100 m. state championship from last season," Van Vogt said.

On Friday, Bowen competed in the high jump finals and cleared 5-10, which set a personal best in high jump, Van Vogt said. "It was high enough to finish third and give him his second medal as well as second personal record in as many days," he said.

Slaybaugh did not qualify for finals in the 200 m. but his time of 23.71 was better than he ran at state last year and less than 1/10th of a second off his personal best.

The boy's 4X100 Relay finished eighth in a photo finish Saturday with a time of 47.17. "Three teams, including the Pirate team, all finished within 4/100ths of a second in that race," Van Vogt said. "Our boys did a great job of sticking their hand-offs in the pressure-filled prelims and finals, and our podium finish was pretty impressive considering it's the first year Jacob, Jett, and Boone had done a relay."

In girls' pole vault, Pomeroy took up almost half of the podium with Tatum Jones finishing sixth with a 7-0 vault, Reagan McKeirnan third with a 7-6 vault, and Carmen Fruh second with a vault of 8-6. "That height tied for first place but the winner had less hits at lower heights so she won despite clearing the same height at Carmen," Van Vogt said.

"Slaybaugh concludes his track career as one of our most decorated athletes," Van Vogt said. "He is a two-time state champion in two different events (100 and pole vault) and overall took home eight medals over his three state meets (there was no state meet his freshmen year due to COVID).

"He shares the 100 meter dash 1B state record time and was always a pleasure to coach," Van Vogt said. "As a team, the boys finished in eighth place and were one point off of a three-way tie for fifth.

"Kudos to our athletes for such an outstanding season," he noted. "For all of these kids to go to state and finish as high as they did speaks to their athleticism and hard work."

Mens Results

100m. – Prelims: 1. Tyler Slaybaugh 11.19a (1.0) SR

100m. – Finals: 3. Tyler Slaybaugh 11.49a (0.6)

200m. 1B – Prelims: 10. Tyler Slaybaugh 23.71 (3.6)

400m. Prelims: 15. Jett Slusser 55.98

800m. Prelims: 7. Kaleb Miller 2:05.89 PR

800m. Finals: 8. Kaleb Miller 2:06.36

4x100 Relay Prelims: 7. Pomeroy (Jacob Reisinger, Jett Slusser, Boone Schmidt, Tyler Slaybaugh) 46.50.

4x100 Relay Finals: 8. Pomeroy (Reisinger, Slusser, Schmidt, Slaybaugh) 47.17.

High Jump: 3. Levi Bowen 5-10 PR

Pole Vault Finals: 1. Tyler Slaybaugh 12-09 PR; 2. Levi Bowen 11-09 PR; 9. Robby Van Vogt 8-06.; 12. Jacob Reisinger 8-00

Womens Results

Pole Vault Finals: 2. Carmen Fruh 8-06; 3. Reagan McKeirnan 7-06 PR; 6. Tatum Jones 7-00