We recently caught up with Taylor Starkey (Jr.) of the Casteel Colts for a look at a typical jump session. Earlier this season, Starkey vaulted 13-2.5 at the Don Kirby Invitational in New Mexico. Two weeks ago, she dominated the Elite Girls' pole vault competition at Chandler Rotary with an Outdoor PR of 13 feet. She's currently tied as the top female vaulter in the State. Most recently, she vaulted 13 once again at the Ron Smith Classic but has her sights set on eventually taking down Nicole Baker's (Highland, '15) State Record of 13-4.25 from five years ago.
Taylor comes from a family of vaulters with a wealth of knowledge to draw from. Her father, Dean Starkey was a bronze medalist at the 1997 World Championships in Athens, Greece, her mother Jill Starkey was a high jumper at South Dakota State and was an Olympic Trials qualifier, her brother Garrett Starkey (Basha, '12) was a two-time Arizona State Champion, and vaulted for Stanford while studying Human Biology and now Arizona State University where he received his M.S. in Exercise Science.
In this workout the Starkeys worked on Taylor's plant and raising her left arm after takeoff.