NEW ORLEANS – Coming off one of the best years in recent memory, the Tulane track and field and cross country program has announced its signing class for the upcoming season, adding a total of ten athletes to the Green Wave family including two vaulters. Mary Carson Pitts (Memphis, Tenn.), is one of the finest pole vaulters to come out of the state of Tennessee in the history of high school track and field. As a member of the Hutchinson School’s track and field program, Pitts shattered the Tennessee state pole vaulting record with a jump of 3.83 meters (12′ 7″) at the Houston Invitational track meet in mid-April. Just a week prior to that, she had set the original record with a jump of 3.73 meters (12′ 3″). The vaulter owns the four top marks in state history in the pole vault. In addition to Pitts, Emma Staisloff (Severna, Md.),is another pole vaulter that Tulane will be able to throw into the mix. During her senior season at Severna Park Senior High School, she captured the Maryland State Championship during the outdoor season with a jump of 3.50 meters (11′ 6″). She placed third in the pole vault during the indoor state championships. The duo will join a stable of incredible pole vaulters at Tulane – including All-American rising junior Merritt Van Meter – where she will be tutored by one of the finest coaches in the business in Doug Fraley. “Pitts has just a ton of potential,” added Peterson. “She was very competitive within the state of Tennessee, and it was nice to see her really climb the national rankings. She had a very successful senior year. Emma also had a tremendous season in Maryland. With the recent success of our pole vaulters over the last two years, we are very committed to building what I hope will become the best pole vaulting program in the nation. We spoke at length with both Mary and Emma about that, and it got both of them very fired up. To know that is the direction we want to go, and to know that we have two athletes coming in who are ready for that challenge, shows that they are competitive and committed to excellence.” more
