Another Record
One record wasn’t enough for the up-and-comer. Just a year after making history as a 15-year-old, the track and field sensation did it again. As a sophomore, she leaped to a new personal best: 4.11 meters (13 feet, 5 ¾ inches). Her mark would set a new high school sophomore record.
It also stood as the best vault ever recorded by an American 16-year-old. Unfortunately, her luck would run out, and she would eventually reach the first setback of her career — one which would cause her to question whether or not pole vaulting was too dangerous for her own safety.