California –In a county filled with some of the best track and field athletes in the state, no one scaled to higher heights of achievement during the 2013 season than Santa Margarita sophomore pole vaulter Kaitlyn Merritt. Merritt rewrote county, state and national record books during the season and she ended it by winning a state title. For her unmatched performance, Merritt has been selected as the Register’s girls track and field athlete of the year. “This was a great year for me,” Merritt said. As a freshman, she set the national high school federation freshman record and finished tied for second at the state meet. She showed early in this season that bigger accomplishments were on the way. She vaulted more than 13feet four times in the first month of the season, claiming wins at the Eagle Invitational, Triton Invitational and California Relays. Then, at the Arcadia Invitational, Merritt produced the best performance of her season. On her first attempt at 13 feet, 8inches, she soared over the bar. “To be able to clear 13-8 at such a big meet made it a great day for me,” Merritt said. That clearance set a high school federation sophomore record and a county record. Her value to the Eagles’ track team wasn’t limited to the pole vault. Merritt won the 100-meter title at the Trinity League Finals and she also ran on the Eagles’ 1,600 relay team that had the county’s second-best time of the season and advanced to the state meet. After vaulting to wins at league finals and the CIF-SS Division 3 finals, she went to the CIF State Championships. There she cleared 13-33/4, making her the second county vaulter to win a state title. “I wasn’t nervous and it was the most fun meet of the season,” Merritt said. “Being on the top of the podium with my parents and coaches here and jumping against all the other girls was really exciting.” more at OCVarsity
