Hampden Academy senior breaks EMITL pole vault record

The records just continue to fall in the Eastern Maine Indoor Track League.

So far this winter, Brewer shot putter Austin Lufkin (59 feet, 11.50 inches) and Bangor pole vaulter Rhian Smallwood (10 feet, 7 inches) have re-written the EMITL record books.

On Saturday, it was Hampden Academy senior Johann Bradley’s turn.

Bradley joined Smallwood in setting new league marks in the pole vault, as he cleared 14 feet, 3.25 inches in a meet at the University of Maine’s New Balance Field House last weekend.

Bradley’s vault broke the league standard of 14-1 set in 2013 by Orono’s David Frederick.

In addition, Bradley’s vault is the highest vault by a high school athlete at the New Balance Field House.

Belfast’s Drew Nealey had cleared 14-3 just last winter.

If that’s not enough, Bradley’s winning vault helped his Broncos win the team competition.

Sam Rusak of Scarborough owns the highest mark among Maine pole vaulters this winter at 15-7. Bradley is ranked third in the state, with Travis Snyder of Saco’s Thornton Academy (14-4) second.

Meanwhile, in the girls’ competition, one of Bradley’s teammates continued her fine season in the shot put.

Daija Misler, who is steadily inching towards 40 feet in the shot put, got even closer last weekend, uncorking a throw of 39 feet, 5.25 inches, which broke her own UMaine facility record by more than half a foot.

Misler, who will join MDI distance runner Tia Tardy at Bucknell University next fall, has steadily improved her throws throughout the season and has two more regular-season meets and the EMITL championship meet to try and break a shot put record that has stood for 34 years.

Orono’s Diane LeClair set the league standard of 43-1.50 in 1983.

EMITL teams will be back in action this weekend in a pair of multi-team events at UMaine.

Also on Saturday, MDI’s Tardy will be participating in the New Balance Grand Prix meet’s Junior Mile at Boston’s Reggie Lewis Center.

The meet, which features some of the top track and field athletes from around the United States, will be televised from 4-6 p.m. on the NBC Sports Network.

Tardy’s race, which will pit her against some of the Northeast’s other top high school milers, will start around 4:25 p.m.

 

Ryan McLaughlin

About Ryan McLaughlin

BDN sports reporter Ryan McLaughlin grew up in Brewer and is a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. In "The Boston Blitz" he'll be sharing his perspective with BDN readers about what's happening on the Boston professional sports scene.