Co-Captain Colleen Flanagan set the indoor girl’s school record in the pole vault in Andover Track’s victory over Governor’s and Wilbraham in Saturday. “When I first realized I had broken it, it was a moment of pure relief,” she said. After several successful jumps at lower heights, she set the bar to eight feet, seven inches, half an inch higher than the previous record set in 1997. On her first attempt of three, she just nicked the bar enough to knock it to the floor. On her second attempt, she nicked the bar again, but this time it stayed level and Flanagan became the new record holder. “There is one exhilarating point that all pole vaulters recognize as that one moment where you know you’re going to clear the bar or not, so I knew I had the record when I was in the air,” she said. Flanagan knew she had it in her to set the record, and may have been able to set it last year had it not been for multiple injuries. After her failed first attempt, however, she did not expect to break the record on Saturday. “After the first attempt fell to the ground, it was a nice surprise to clear the bar on the second attempt,” said Flanagan. She is most thankful for her supportive teammates. She said, “The other vaulters on my team have been really supportive of me, so they were the first ones I turned to once I realized I had broken it.” She continued, “Getting the record in my senior season, in front of an awesome team I have had the privilege to captain, was all the more rewarding.” She is not complacent with her record, however, and she will look to set the bar higher in the last two meets against Haverhill and Exeter. “My personal goal is nine feet, and maybe even higher,” she said.
