Senior Peter Fagan tied the Group IV state record of 15 feet in pole vaulting at the NJSIAA Group IV Championships on Feb. 16 at the Bennet Center in Tom’s River. This height put him in first place at the meet, qualifying him for the Meet of Champions on Feb. 23.
On qualifying for the Meet of Champions, Fagan said, “It [felt] great; I [was] really excited to vault against the other best people in the state.”
At the Meet of Champions, Fagan placed third. Teammates senior Kevin Smith and senior Joseph Obiajulu joined Fagan at the meet.
According to Fagan, he also qualified last year but was not able to clear the starting height once he arrived. “I [was] much more confident this time, and I [was] ready to show everyone how much I’ve improved since then,” said Fagan.
Fagan’s season will continue to the Eastern State Championships and the New Balance Indoor Nationals, which he says, “is going to be awesome.”
According to Fagan, after he graduates he plans on pole vaulting at SUNY Binghamton University, a Division I school. He said, “They had a national pole vault champion back in 2008, so I know it’s a good program.”
Said senior winter track Co-Captain Dan Luzzi: “We’re all really proud of Peter. He trains extremely hard all year round, and his accomplishments are a testament to his hard work.”