1 week ago
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At most track meets, races are won on the ground. In the pole vault, however, victory comes in the air, and few in Minnesota have reached greater heights than Chaska’s Joshua Schmidt and Cambridge-Isanti’s Calvin Piescher.
Schmidt has turned one of track and field’s most technical events into his personal showcase, setting and resetting the standard for excellence. The senior already owned the state record at 16 feet, 6 inches before taking things even higher this spring. He shattered his own mark by a full foot, clearing 17-6 to cement his place in state history.
“If you ask my parents or any of my family members, they’ll definitely tell you I was made for it,” Schmidt said. “I’ve always been doing wild things my whole life.”
Fear has never been a factor for Schmidt. Instead, confidence has fueled his rapid rise.
“I’ve never not believed in myself,&r...
