With the spring sports teams jumping into season, senior Annika Dayton is hard at work. Dayton competes on the track and field team in pole vaulting with sprints as secondary events. She began pole vaulting her sophomore year and continues to improve. Last year, Dayton finished 7^th in state and started this season off strong as ever. On Wednesday, March 18 the grizzlies opened with their first meet of the year. “I improved my personal record to 11’ 6”, Dayton said. After this first meet, Dayton is currently ranked 1^st in state.

Dayton has a background in gymnastics, but in her sophomore year, “Jenna Hess (’13) convinced me to try pole vaulting,” Dayton said.

Athletes use a light flexible pole made of fiberglass and carbon fiber to launch their bodies over the bar. It is designed to give them the correct amount of flex and stiffness to help launch them  the farthest. “It is different from any other sport; it really takes a unique skill set. It’s very technical, you need a strong core and sturdy center,” Dayton said.

This season, she has set her goal high. “I want to reach 12 feet 6 inches” Dayton said. This will be a foot improvement from her current personal record. Along with her goal of getting over that height, Dayton has her eyes set on the future. Dayton has been in contact with the coach of the University of Washington track team and has a possibility of walking on to the team. Dayton has already been accepted in the University. “I have put a lot of work in and have a lot of fun pole vaulting, so it would be hard to see myself stopping after this season” said Dayton.

Dayton will find out later in the season if she will be able to walk on to the UW team, but until then she will keep working towards improving her record.