John’s Journal: One Year, Two Inches And A State Record

For exactly one calendar year, the only thing between Jarod White and the No. 1 spot in the record book was two inches. At the 2021 Section 1A track and field championships, the then-junior at Pine Island High School pole vaulted 16 feet, 0 inches. He went on to win the Class A state title a week later, clearing 15-9.

Ever since last year’s section meet at Triton High School in Dodge Center, White has been thinking about 16 feet, 2 inches. The all-time state record in the event was 16-1 ¾ … until Tuesday.

In the 2002 Section 1A championships, White cleared 16-2 to put his name at the top of the record list. Now second all-time is 16-1¾ by Mounds View’s Calvin Ciganik in 2018, followed by 16-1¼ by Blake’s Grant Krieger in 2013. No one else in Minnesota history has vaulted 16 feet. White is the only athlete from an outstate Class A school to have a current top spot in the state track and field record book.

White’s feat is the third new state track and field record set this spring. The Mounds View boys 4x800-meter relay team of Maximus Gregory, Victor Lelinga, Elliott McArthur and William Skelly ran a state-record time of 7:39.91 on May 24, which also is the fastest time in the nation this spring. Earlier, Rosemount’s Ava Cinnamo set a state record of 41-6 in the girls triple jump.

White, the newest member of the state-record club, said, “I’m just on Cloud Nine right now. I’m ecstatic.”

After setting the record, he missed three attempts at 16-5, calling it “another big milestone that I’m trying to hit.”

He will get that opportunity in the MSHSL state championship meet at St.  Michael Albertville High School. The meet will be held June 9, 10 and 11, with the Class A boys pole vault on June 9.

White opened Tuesday’s competition by easily clearing 13-9 on his first attempt. He had the bar moved to 14-9 and did the same. He made 15-6 on his second try before he asked for the bar to be set at 16-2. He knocked the bar off the standards on his first two attempts before clearing the record height on his third and final try.

As he sailed over the bar and was on his way down to the pit, he looked up at the bar and thought, “ ‘Just stay up’ and luckily it did. It was super exciting.”

After landing, he jumped off the pit and sprinted to his family and coaches, hugging everyone as the crowd cheered.

“It was pure elation,” said Pine Island coach Matt Northrop.

“He set this goal at the beginning of the season,” Northrop said. “Everybody knows what he’s about as a person, and his character. To be able to set the goal, achieve it and celebrate with his teammates, that was special.”

White’s previous best this season was 15-3, which he did at the True Team state championships on May 21.

--MSHSL media specialist John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Twitter @MSHSLjohn and listen to "Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at jmillea@mshsl.org