COLUMBUS — You know that saying “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.”
Well, you could very much apply that to Waynedale’s Anna Pittman, as she was competing in last Thursday’s pole vault event during the OHSAA Division IV state track and field meet in Columbus at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
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After clearing her first three vaults smoothly, Pittman then got over 11 feet 4 inches.
Now here comes the try try again part folks.
Pittman, who was the top-seeded vaulter coming in at 11-8 (her personal best), had 11-8 sitting in front of her on her fifth attempt of the afternoon.
She missed.
On her second attempt, Pittman knocked over the pole again.
With it getting down to the waning stages of the event, she had one more go at clearing 11-8 to stay in the competition.
Then this happened.
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She cleared it and stayed in the competition.
“At regionals, that was my first time making 11-8. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is my PR,’ said Pittman, after the pole vault event had concluded. “The third attempt for that I was freaking out. I’m not going to lie. I took a deep breath and I was like, ‘This is it. This could be it.’ So, I might as well give it my all. I did that. I made it over. I was like, ‘Holy crap. There’s no way.’ I was just hyped up.”
Waynedale’s Anna Pittman makes this clearance over the bar in the Division IV pole vault. The OHSAA state track meet took place from June 4-7 in Columbus at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
Still, the senior wasn’t through having to get through a tricky situation.
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Enter Part 2 of try try again.
With four competitors remaining, 12-0 was the next bar to clear.
Pittman’s first attempt failed. She then missed her second attempt. Once again, she faced another “Now of Never” moment to stay in the competition on her third try.
There she goes again.
12-0 successful.
“Then I got to 12 feet,” said Pittman, with excitement. “My two attempts were like, ‘Ugh.’ I just had to calm down and when I cleared that, all of my nerves went away. That was the first time I made 12 obviously. It was such a relief to get that. That’s been my goal the entire season.”
Waynedale’s Anna Pittman gets ready before an attempt in the Division IV state track meet in the pole vault.
With three competitors left, the bar was raised to 12-4.
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She met the challenge and cleared it on the first attempt. A new PR (personal record) was set.
With only Pittman and Coldwater junior Ava Schmitmeyer left, 12-8 was the next target.
Schmitmeyer cleared her first attempt at 12-8 first, then Pittman was up.
Pittman ended up unsuccessful in her three attempts. Schmitmeyer was your new Division IV state champion, with Pittman earning silver with a state runner-up finish.
“12-4. I was honestly, I didn’t know what I was expecting. At that point, I was just vaulting for fun,” Pittman said. “I think because I wasn’t in my head and vaulting just for fun that definitely helped me get through it. 12-8 was definitely very intimidating. But it’s alright.”
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Alright it is.
As the top seed, Pittman did say she felt some pressure going into her most prominent event and felt more equipped than ever compared to the last two state track meets in the pole vault where she didn’t medal (top eight get on the podium).
“I was a little bit more prepared this year,” said Pittman, who was also a Division IV regional qualifier in both the 100m and 300m hurdles. “I’ve been to state in the past but I’ve never been really prepared. This year, I finally felt like I was able to handle my emotions better. It’s definitely been a big change this year. I finally started getting it.”
Pittman says her senior season is the best form she’s been in as a pole vaulter in her four years and the results point to that.
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Wayne County Athletic League (WCAL) champion. Division IV district and regional champion. Division IV state runner-up. And she’s leaving with a new PR of 12-4.
Waynedale’s Anna Pittman on the podium with her Division IV state runner-up silver medal.
As good of a pole vaulter Pittman is, she credited the other four sports she’s played in high school in football (kicker in 2025), soccer (forward), cross country and swimming (three-time Div. II state qualifier in 50 freestyle from 2024-2026; 2026 state qualifier in 100 freestyle) as helping her in some fashion with her pole vaulting.
“I feel like they keep me in shape. It makes me think about what I’m doing more. The only reason I do so many sports is because I get bored really fast,” said Pittman, who’s planning on going into the Army National Guard and attending Ashland University after high school in the next few years. “I have a really bad problem with staying still. I need to be doing something.”
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For Pittman, it’s the fun of pole vaulting that has kept her going.
“I’m always happy to be here,” she said. “My goal throughout the season is just to make it to state and let whatever happens after happens. I’m just trying to have fun with it.”
jamessimpson@gannett.com
Twitter/X: @JamesSimpson II
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: How Waynedale’s Anna Pittman fought to state pole vault runner-up
