Ali Munson ‘17 had her heart and soul set on winning state this year. Armed with the strong belief that she could win, Ali worked hard all season to achieve that goal.

Munson started the season strong. From the small indoor meets to outdoor invitationals, she won it all. Even against the bigger and better schools, Ali was always the biggest threat. She holds the Benet school record in pole vault and repeatedly broke that record throughout the season.

At the conference meet there really wasn’t much competition. Ali still worked hard and made it a competition against herself. Without a doubt, she was the ESCC pole vault conference champ.

At the Sectional meet, Ali did not let the team down. She helped them out when they needed it the most by breaking her own personal record again. With a new height of 12’8’’, she was now ranked the best pole-vaulter in the state.

“There was some pressure going into the state meet because I was seeded first, but I decided not to let that phase me. I just went in there with the mindset of doing the best that I could, and if I won that would just be an added benefit,” Munson said.

Ali did not disappoint at the Illinois High School Association state meet in downstate Charleston. The hard work, dedication, and competitive spirit paid off. With a height of 12’9’’besting all competitors in the entire state meet, she was crowned state champion!

Congratulations to Ali Munson, 2016 IHSA Pole Vault Champion!