North Branford competed in the Class S State Championship meet on Feb. 8 at the Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven. The boys finished in 13th place with 13 points. Senior pole vaulter Nick Schneidt scored 10 of those points as he won the event with a jump of 11-6 to tie his season-high height. “I was just using a new pole this time and I was feeling a little better. I was able to get into the pit, where in the Shoreline I wasn’t getting deep enough and kept coming down in the box,” Schneidt said. “It helped me get up higher in height. I wasn’t expecting to win to be honest. I was just hoping to beat my school record.” Even though Schneidt was unable to practice his jumps throughout the year, his footwork was flawless because of what he could practice. “This is my first year doing it in indoor, which is a lot different than outdoor because we don’t have a pad to practice on at our school in indoor so the only time I actually get to pole vault is at the meet,” he said. “I got to focus on working more with my approach, which is really important for pole vault, so my steps are always on point. When I go there, I warm up, practice on my inversions and turns, so it helps.” Also scoring points for the boys were Michael Cermola in the pole vault (5th, 10-6) more
