Savage wins pole vault at Simplot Games

Jordan Savidge of Smith Valley High School and the Reno/Tahoe Athletics Club won the pole vault with a personal record jump at the 27th annual Simplot Games on Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho.

Savidge, a senior at Smith Valley, cleared 15-feet, 9-inches to improve his previous best by two inches and beat a blue chip field of athletes at Idaho State University's Holt Arena. He showed the potential to do even better, according to coach Paul Heglar.

"He cleared 15-9 by eight inches," Heglar said of Savidge, who has won two 1A state championships at Smith Valley. "Jordan's ready to get on a longer pole, and when he does that, I look for him to do some great things. The goal is to become the first (high school) kid in Nevada to go 17 feet, and I really believe he can do it."

Tony Fritsche, a junior at Galena High, also placed sixth in the competition with a personal best of 13-9.

"He cleared 13-9 by a ton, and he was over at 14-3 but he knocked the bar off with his hand," Heglar said of Fritsche.

Another Galena junior, Nick Shannon, placed sixth in the high jump with a 6-6 clearance. Shannon, the defending 4A state boys high jump champion, went 6-9 at an indoor meet hosted by the University of Nevada at the Reno Livestock Events Center last month.

Smith Valley senior Sam Marshek also cleared 13-3 in the pole vault and Easton Harris went 6-0 in the high jump for the Reno.Tahoe Athletics Club.

For more information about the SImplot Games, go online to www.simplotgames.com.