Jun 25, 2022 2 min read

For Andrew Layton, the end nearly came before his second vault.

The Waynesburg pole vaulter, however, calmed his nerves and ended up with a silver medal in the event after clearing 14-6 at the PIAA Class 2A Track & Field Championships at Shippensburg University.

Logan Gossard of Richland cleared the same height but won the gold medal based on fewer misses.

Layton’s first miss nearly did him in. The pole bowed under the weight of his body and injured his leg.

It was easy to detect the frustration on his face and the slight limp he received from the pole. But enough time elapsed between his first and second vault to allow himself to get composed. He cleared 13-6 and one could see the relief on his face.

“It gave me my confidence back,” said Layton of clearing his first height.

A quick change of poles and it was the same old Layton fans had gotten used to seeing.

“I tried to use a bigger pole and it nearly killed me,” Layton said. “I had to go back, sit down and get my mind straight. That first clearance, I felt great. I was like, ‘Oh man, I’m going to win this.’ But I came up short.”

Waynesburg vaulters have been a dominating force, especially the girls, who have held the WPIAL record ever since the sport was introduced in the late 1990s.

Layton won the WPIAL Class 2A title with a vault of 14-6, beating Preston Cecotti of South Park, who also hit 14-6 but had more misses.