The "Township Horn Sisters Lead The Way" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Propped against the goalpost on the football field with my camera, waiting for a chance to take a few photos of the Horn sisters who are two of the best pole vaulters in the Lancaster-Lebanon League.  

Poles sit in wait for competition.

Sydney is a sophomore while Mackenzie is a senior who are both part of the Manheim Township High School Track & Field Team in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Sydney is becoming an accomplished vaulter having cleared 11'8" already in her career, but the star for the Township team is sister Mackenzie who is not only one of the best pole vaulters in the L-L League, but also the state as well as the USA.  Mackenzie became the fifth girl in Pennsylvania to clear 13 feet when she won the VaultWorX meet in Camp Hill, Pa. this past January 13th.  A week later she cleared the same distance at the Douglas W. Wenser Memorial Invitational in Kutztown, Pa., but then cleared 13-3 on her final attempt which was the best height in Pennsylvania as well as the fourth-best in the United States.  She also won the 55-meter hurdles at the meet crossing the finish line in 8.98 seconds.  Quite an accomplishment for a young girl who spent most of her junior year sidelined by a pair of stress-fractures in her left foot which happens to be her "plant" foot.  

Mackenzie prepares herself for the runway.

She did recover enough by the end of the season to finish third at the PA District III meet, clearing 11'6" which qualified her for the PA State Meet where she finished third at 12'0".  She then entered the New Balance Nationals where she placed 26th with a vault of 11'10".  She then began her recovery while training at VaultWorX in Camp Hill, PA a few times a week.  This all began when she was a sophomore and her assistant track coach, Jason Lyons, a former student of mine and now a Tech-Ed teacher at the Middle School, suggested to her that she give pole vaulting a try.  She now plans to continue her pole vaulting career next fall at North Carolina at High Point University.  Her goal before she enters college is to hit 14 feet.  Her method of purging her mind, shutting out the scene around her and staring down the pole vault runway seems to be working.  My guess is she will reach her goal!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Sydney Horn on the way to the top.  Click on images to enlarge.

She clears the height.

Mackenzie Horn begins her approach down the runway.

Perfect form on her way to the top.

Clearing her height by plenty.

Preparing for her landing while pushing the pole away from the bar.

PS - Today's story was written a few days before the Manheim Township "Blue Streaks Relays" which were held on Saturday, May 5.  During the meet the Horn sisters teamed to win the pole vault event with a meet-record when Mackenzie cleared 12 feet and Sydney cleared 11-6.  They also were part of the winning 400-meter shuttle hurdles along with Leah Sassaman and Delaney McKnight in a winning time of 1:05.32.  Their performances helped the "Blue Streaks" win the girls' championship as their counterparts in the boys' division also won giving the school the team championship.