Otay Ranch High School student-athlete Dane von Guenthner capped his senior year by placing second in the boys pole vault event May 29-30 at the California state championship meet in Clovis. It was an elite setting in which to complete and an elite mark — 16 feet, four inches — in which to capture the silver medal.
“My expectations were definitely high,” von Guenther admitted. “At a meet like the state meet where the crowd is huge, nerves are high, and everything you worked towards all season is on the line, really anything can happen. The state meet opening height is already super high, set at 15-0 for the preliminary round and 15-2 at finals.
“I entered at those opening heights both days, as did pretty much everyone, and I felt real confident about it because my usual opening height is anywhere from 15-0 to 15-3. Knock on wood, opening height is never something I’ve really struggled with. I feel like I’m a very strong vaulter on the mental side of things, and it shows in my stats. I’ve only ever no-heighted once ever and it was at the nationals meet last year in the pouring Oregon rain along with 10 other athletes.”…