It was at a small pole vault competition held inside at the Southeast Missouri University indoor track, Tori Thomas of Rock Island Alleman High School took down girls all-time pole vault mark with a clearance of 13'6"- which is also US#1.
The standout senior who recently signed with Illinois State University has been in the shadows of several outstanding vaulters in recent years including the great Windsor Roberts of Downs (Tri-Valley). The multi-talented Thomas is no slouch as she had a previous personal best of 13-foot achieved during the summer of 2020.
However, it was Saturday afternoon that Thomas made history by connecting on the aforementioned 13-6 mark. It has been a height that she had previously flirted with as it would enable the speedy Thomas to be in a league of her own. After the chart-topping honor, it was on to 13'9" and there was a nail-biting attempt that fell just short of clearance. The 2021 season is still very young but Thomas is quickly gaining momentum as someone to watch out for nationally.