How this New Jersey pole vaulter turned a horrific accident into fame

Their screams could be heard from everywhere.

NJSIAA officials watched, the other athletes were confused, everyone in the stands was curious about what was going on, but anyone who wasn’t near the pole vault on the second day of the Bergen County Championships last spring at Old Tappan didn’t really know what had happened to Dumont’s Jenna Monaco.

The then-young student was attempting to set a new personal record of 10 feet when the tip of her pole got stuck in her mouth, knocking out a tooth and splitting her lip. Monaco ran to the coach, terrified and in complete shock, her hands and face covered in blood.

“I just want to go home,” she cried.

Luckily, her aunt Joan works in the dental industry and was able to reattach the tooth the same day.

It’s a moment that makes Monaco smile when she thinks back on it, but even after she got stitches, there was a certain fear that she had to overcome within a few days.

“I’ve completely forgotten about it now,” she said. “I was a little scared (about the next few competitions), but I went to practice the next day and immediately practiced with the bar. I wanted to overcome the fear. The B MoC (Bergen County Meet of Champions) was just a few days later, but I had practiced with the bar beforehand, which helped me.”

Just six days after the accident, she achieved a record of 10-1 and finished fourth. A year later, Monaco achieved a record of 11-6 in training and an even higher record of 11-2 in competition.

The sophomore has cleared the 11-foot mark three times this spring, including her season-best of 11-1 in her win at the County M of Cs. Last spring, she cleared the 11-foot mark three times, capping her season with a pair of jumps of 11-2.

What got her to where she is now, aside from overcoming mental hurdles? It was mostly a matter of repetition and technique.

“I train with Coach Saint (Tim St. Lawrence) at the Barn (Hudson Valley Flying Circus) in Warwick (NY),” Monaco said. “I go there three times a week and I feel like he’s definitely helped me get better. I’ve been working more on bending the bar because I used to pull a lot and not let the bar pull me up on the jump. I’m also trying to get faster. I’ve started lifting weights and I’m doing a lot on my own at home too.

“She’s come a long way,” added Dumont’s pole vault coach Sofia Capparelli. “She’s sticking with it. She’s committed and making the necessary adjustments. She’s having a great year.”

Monaco also competes in the 100-meter dash, 100-meter hurdles and long jump. She won medals in all four events at this year’s national championships and all four at the Big Big North American Division Championships.

At the division championship meet, Monaco made program history with a personal best in the long jump and a leap of 18-3 ¼, placing 8th in NJ.

“She swapped the 200m for the long jump last year,” said Capparelli. “In only her third long jump competition ever, she broke a 41-year-old school record. That’s incredible.”

“The take-off position is very similar to the pole vault,” Monaco added of the long jump. “I try to replicate what I do in the pole vault in the long jump. I don’t focus so much on the technique though. I just try to jump far.”

Monaco’s successes are spread across four disciplines, but the only discipline she wants to carry well into the season is the pole vault.

In the pole vault, four girls have cleared the 12-foot mark this spring: senior Ella Karolewski of Hillsborough and juniors Shreya Sathiyan of Morris Hills, Rebecca Hoover of Haddonfield and Hannah Byrd-Leitner of Moorestown. Sathiyan and Hoover cleared 12-8, while Byrd-Leitner cleared the 12-6 hurdle in competition and Karolewski cleared 12-3 ½.

To clear the 12-foot mark and secure a chance at the national title, Monaco will have to stay on the path she is on – through repetition and by taking the necessary steps to improve.

“I’m in the right place,” Monaco said. “I’ve been waiting for 12 feet for a long time. I try to do it every time I compete. I just try to stay consistent.”

If she manages to clear the ball, no one will look in her direction in confusion, as was the case at the district championships a year ago.

As in the last calendar year, all eyes will be on them in amazement.

“We have it in our hands,” Capparelli said. “She needs a solid turnaround on that summit. She’s been there all the time in training. Hopefully we can get it done in the next few weeks and hopefully by the State Meet of Champions.”

Ryan Patti can be reached at [email protected] or via direct message Here.

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