Prepapalooza: Final Countdown Begins

ESCANABA — Three members of the Karl family have shown over the last few years a major interest in taking flight – at least from a track & field sense.

Gladstone sophomore Andrew Karl and his sister, freshman Maggie Karl, have found success in high jump, following older sister Kristy Karl – the girls school record holder in the event.

The younger two siblings also have shined in pole vault, Maggie tying the school record and Andrew just an inch away from doing the same on the boys side.

Kristy Karl, who has cleared 5 feet in high jump several times this season, owns the school record in that event at 5-foot-1 set a year ago. She will try to surpass that at Saturday’s Upper Peninsula Division 1 Finals at Kingsford.

“I need to put everything together,” she said. “Every time before I jump, I go over what I need to do. I started jumping in middle school. I figured out three-stepping this year and got the whole thing down.”

Kristy, who will attend classes at Bay College this fall, won high jump at 4-10 in the Regional on May 16 in Escanaba, and Maggie shared third place with Sault Ste. Marie freshman Isabelle McCord, both also at 4-10. Kristy also helped Gladstone win the 400-meter relay (52.56) and was runner-up in the 100 hurdles (16.97) on a lean by Escanaba junior Ava Stahlboerger.

Maggie Karl matched the school pole vault record with a winning leap of 9 feet as did senior teammate Chelsey Demeuse, who was edged on a tie-breaker as the Regional concluded Wednesday.

Boys’ pole vault started 12 days earlier, but was suspended after an Escanaba vaulter received injuries in a mishap during the Regional.

“It feels good to get this in,” Maggie said. “It’s so close to the Finals, although I think this is pretty helpful. I just wanted to qualify. How high you go depends on how you run (during the approach). I don’t remember exactly how I got started, but started jumping in seventh grade and I think it sparked an interest.”

Andrew Karl has soared as high as 14-3 in the pole vault this season, just an inch shy of the school record set by Josh Syverson in 2009.

He cleared 13 feet, good enough for third place as the Regional concluded.

“Changing the routine was the most challenging part,” he said. “You schedule your practices in advance. Consistency is key in any event. It’s a matter of deciding when to go hard and when to back off. I had plenty of height, but didn’t have the consistency with my pole.”

Maggie said she and Josh practice each Thursday during the summer at the Gladstone track.

“I think it helps,” she added. “Josh gives me pointers. Kristy doesn’t come down to the track quite as often, but she comes as much as she can and helps me with high jump.”

Josh, who started vaulting in middle school, is about to finish his third year of jumping.

“I like a good challenge, mentally and physically,” he said. “The biggest thing is to not think of it at all while you’re jumping because it becomes second nature. It’s a real balancing act. You’ve got to stick with it. It’s about consistency and never giving up. You just keep going.”

John Vrancic has covered high school sports in the Upper Peninsula since joining the Escanaba Daily Press staff in 1985. He is known most prominently across the peninsula for his extensive coverage of cross country and track & field that frequently appears in newspapers from the Wisconsin border to Lake Huron. He received the James Trethewey Award for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Upper Peninsula Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association.

PHOTO Gladstone’s Andrew Karl clears the bar during the pole vault competition at this season’s Negaunee Lions Invitational. (Photo by Cara Kamps.)