By Ryan Deal

605 Sports

“It felt really good to finally clear that height,” Stiefel said.

Stiefel, Bismarck, North Dakota’s Alyson Krug and Spearfish’s Gretchen Adamski were the final three vaulters on Saturday. Adamski finished third at 11-feet, 9-inches. 

Krug placed second at 12-feet, while Krug cleared 12-3 and then 12-6 to equal Brost’s previous record.  

Stiefel’s record vault came on her third attempt at 12-7, with the Howard Wood Stadium encouraging her on.

“The second attempt was really close, and then I really felt the crowd on the third one,” Stiefel said. “It just really felt good going into it and I gave it my all.”

Stiefel took three attempts at 13-feet, but the grueling event began to take its toll on her. 

“I was definitely getting tired toward the end,” Stiefel said. “I definitely put my all into that last one. The 13-feet foot attempts were definitely tiring. I did a lot of jumps today.” 

The 13-foot barrier is still on her agenda.   

“My goal is to hit 13 by the end of the year,” Stiefel said. “So the state meet hopefully.”

Custer's Ciana Stiefel set a Howard Wood Dakota Relays record in the pole vault on Saturday.