Moorhead's Spandl Sets All-Time Vault Mark

The bar has now been raised to 15-8.

That's the current height of the best pole vault performance in Minnesota boys high school history after Moorhead's Macauley Spandl cleared the height on Friday at the Moorhead Athletic Association Invitational held at Concordia College.

Spandl's clearance -- which can be viewed HERE on YouTube -- bettered the previous record of 15-7 set by Anoka's Tim Koupal in 1997 at the MSHSL Class AA State Meet.

The Fargo Forum has a nice story, HERE, about Spandl's record and how his talented siblings spurred him to and congratulated him for his record-setting performance.

Spandl, like sister Jacenta and brother Brock, will attend the University of Minnesota next year.

The record vault on Friday was a redemptive start to Spandl's 2010 season after a disappointing end to his 2009 campaign. Spandl, who won the Hamline Elite Meet last April with a vault of 14-0, no-heighted at the MSHSL Section 8AA meet and did not qualify for State.

Spandl was part of a six-way tie for #6 on the 2009 Minnesota high school list, HERE, and now joins his brother Brock on Minnesota's all-time top-10 list.

Here's how the Minnesota boys' all-time list looks after Spandl's 15-8 ...

15-8 Macauley Spandl, Moorhead 2010
15-7 Tim Koupal, Anoka 1997
15-6 ½ Jed Bergstrom, Buffalo 1997
15-6 Mike Brockwell, Edina 1996
15-4 Jason Beutz, Foley 2003
15-3 ½ Erik Romsdahle, Saint James 2008
15-3 Chip Malmstrom, Mahtomedi 1994
15-3 Jon Anderson, Morris Area 1994
15-3 Brock Spandl, Moorhead 2006
15-3 Dan Sandor, Stillwater Area 2008


Speaking of High School Track ... Down the Backstretch will again offer live coverage of the Friday session of the Hamline Elite Meet. If you can't attend the meet yourself, join us at 5:15 p.m. this Friday for live text coverage of all the action!