By Matt Gade

605 Sports

SIOUX FALLS — It might be a new year, but the Stiefel name still sits atop the Class A girls’ pole vault champion.

For three straight years, Kelsey and Tenlee Stiefel watched as their oldest sister Ciana, won three straight Class A state titles in the girls’ pole vault. Then last season, the three sisters finished an impressive 1-2-3 in the event.

While Ciana is now competing for the University of South Dakota, Tenlee took over right where her sister left off.

Coming into the state meet, Tenlee had cleared a Class A state record 13 feet, 1 inch earlier this season at the Howard Wood Dakota Relays. 

During Thursday’s competition, Ciana was on the edge of her seat watching and cheering as Tenlee broke the Class A state meet record of 12 feet, 8 inches held by Ciana with her second attempt at 12 feet, 10 inches. 

“Oh, it feels pretty darn good to have her break it like how she did,” Ciana said of Tenlee. “I will never not be proud of them for anything that they do. So it almost brings me to tears watching them jump and break the records, because records are meant to be broken for a reason.”

At center, Breann Stiefel records her daughters competing in the pole vault while her oldest daughter Ciana sits in front, watching the girls Class A girls' pole vault on day one of the SDHSAA state track and field championships at Howard Wood in Sioux Falls. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)

After breaking Ciana’s record, Tenlee went looking to set a new personal best in the pole vault. Instead of 13 feet, 2 inches, the freshman vaulter went for 13 feet, 3 inches. “It sounds better than 13-2,” Tenlee said to her sister Kelsey when trying to decide on her next height.

On her first attempt, Tenlee cleared 13 feet, 3 inches.

“There’s definitely just something about the environment out here,” Tenlee said. “When I step out onto the runway, I feel like I grow wings a little bit.”

To celebrate, Tenlee did a back flip in celebration. Checking with the officials ahead of time, just to make sure it wouldn’t be a penalty.

“I’ve been wanting to do a backflip all season, and I figured today was the perfect moment,” Tenlee said. “But yeah, I just wanted to ask to make sure I wouldn't get DQ’ed.”

For Kelsey, the junior has battled a foot injury all season and hasn’t competed since the Howard Wood Dakota Relays meet on May 2. 

The Wildcat would learn she suffered a stress fracture in her right foot, but wasn’t going to let that stop her from competing. 

“I was hurting, but I had the stress fracture all season. We just didn't really get it checked until later on.” Tenlee said. “So I just kind of went into it blind today and just stayed on my shorter poles and was just gonna see what happens.”

Kelsey Stiefel , of Custer, clears the bar while competing the Class A girls' pole vault on day one of the SDHSAA state track and field championships at Howard Wood in Sioux Falls. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)

Kelsey, who came in at 11 feet, 1 inch, said her foot was hurting pretty rough by the time she had cleared 12 feet, 1 inch and attempted 12-4. Coming into the meet, Kelsey’s top mark for the season was 11 feet, 9 inches.

“It was nice to have a season's best. Obviously, I still want to jump higher, but for how I felt, and then not really having any idea on what poles I was gonna really need to be on, I'm pretty happy with how the day went.”

“I’m so happy we could do it together,” Tenlee said of winning, finishing 1-2 with Kelsey.

Being on hand to help coach his daughters and watch as the duo both capped the state meet with their season bests was a special moment for Custer’s pole vault coach and the Stiefel dad,  Chris. 

“She's got a lot of grit,” Chris said of Kelsey. “She's got pretty high pain tolerance, so if she says she's hurt, you know it's bad. I was super impressed with her. I told her I was like, ‘I don't know that I would have kept fighting through it,’ because she was grimacing when she was on the pit, with the pain after each jump. I'm like, 'You sure you want to keep going?’ She's like, 'Yes, I'm gonna finish. I'm like, 'All right, it’s your foot.’”

As Kelsey couldn’t help but watch from her crutches as Tenlee attempted new records, she said she couldn’t be prouder.

“It's so fun. I'm like, it's such a proud big sister moment, just to see her do so well, at such a young age too,” Kelsey said. “Obviously, I wish I would have been able to run up there, but I still got up there in time to celebrate with her.”

As the event progressed and it was just down to Kelsey and Tenlee, Chris said he knew Tenlee had the potential to break her own personal best.

“I just like to watch her excitement, where she's standing on the runway, looking off into the crowd,” Chris said. “…it's just cool to see her light spirit. Super proud of her.”

Tenlee Stiefel , of Custer, hugs her sister Kelsey after competing in the pole vault as the pair went 1-2 winning the Class A girls' pole vault on day one of the SDHSAA state track and field championships at Howard Wood in Sioux Falls. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)

Following the competition on Thursday, Kelsey will now spend the next six to eight weeks in either a boot or a cast, depending on what the doctors decide while she heals.

“It's gonna be hard because they said at least six to eight weeks of absolutely zero pressure on it, and then obviously just slowly get back into it after that. But Ciana has a couple, I think three weeks off of resting at home before she has to get back into her workouts. So I’ll be able to hang out with her, but yeah, I’m definitely going to get anxious to get back.”

Tenlee has a couple more events to compete in before she’ll be able to take a couple of weeks off. The freshman will compete in the 800-meter relay and open 200 on Friday. 

“Definitely going to take a week or two to do absolutely nothing before I start training again,” Tenlee said. 

Tenlee Stiefel, of Custer, celebrates after clearing 13 feet, 3 inches to set the new state meet record while winning the Class A girls' pole vault on day one of the SDHSAA state track and field championships at Howard Wood in Sioux Falls. (Matt Gade / 605 Sports)