On April 6 at Mount Si Highschool, Issaquah Highschool’s women’s track and field team won 81 to 68 against Mount Si.  

In the pole vault event, senior Rebekah Oberlander and freshman Lucy Stevenson, both from Issaquah, placed in the top two out of 13. At this meet, Oberlander made her season record of 10-00.00 or 10 feet. Stevenson matched her previous record of seven feet, barely passing Lena Hillsberg from Mount Si who made 6-09.00, or six feet and nine inches. 

There are numerous reasons why more than half of all high school students participate in at least one kind of school sport. Junior Velena Beeks, who did the pole vault and 100m sprint events this meet, says, “The main reason why I do [track and field] is definitely because of the adrenaline rush. No other activity comes close to it.” Although Beeks received a NH, or no height in the pole vault, she ended up placing 12th out of 38 people during the 100m sprint event. She adds, “Another big part of it is the sportsmanship and support you get from others.” Stevenson agrees with the latter. Additionally, she says, “It is a good form of exercise especially when the weather is nice. It really is just a great opportunity to go outside.”  

The players’ skill and sportsmanship are extremely important, but a good coach can no doubt make or break an entire team. Mike Miller, Issaquah Highschool’s pole vault coach, records each attempt made on an iPad and watches the video replay with the student right after. He explains to them how they can improve in their next attempt. He says, “[Pole vault] is a very technical sport. There are lots of things to coach which makes it both challenging and extremely rewarding.” Furthermore, Miller has many years of experience for the sport under his belt. He explains, “I did track in high school, specifically pole vaulting, so I have a lot of knowledge for the sport. On top of that, pole vault coaches are very high in demand. Because I am a teacher, it was only natural for me to also become a coach.” 

With our women’s pole vault team adding eight points to the total score versus Mount Si’s earning only one, there is no doubt that they deserve a bit of attention for their contribution to the overall win for the Issaquah Eagles this meet.