Columbia Independent School senior Khristen Bryant picked up pole vault later than most, but her gymnastics experience helped her excel quickly to become a state champion and now one of the country's best (Tied for 19th nationally) and put her second on the all-time Missouri Girls performance list with her 13-0 clearance at last week's Class 1 Sectional 1 meet at Lutheran North High School.
Bryant's father Micheal, ran cross country at Northwest Missouri State University, and Bryant got started running early in life. But didn't take to full track and field until her middle school years at the Pre-K through High School Columbia Independent School. Bryant ran three years of cross country at CIS and just hurdles as a freshman on the track team, as a broken ankle in the winter of her freshman year kept her from trying pole vault that year. Bryant's sophomore year she found former standout vaulter turned phenomenal coached Todd Cooper and his Just Vault club and training center in Excelsior Springs. That year she captured the Class 1 State title in the vault with a personal best 10-4.25, setting the Class 1 State Meet Record.
Last year as a junior, Bryant beat State Meet record holder Nicole Kallenberger of Lee's Summit West at the Kansas Relays and set a meet record with a 12-6 clearance. A month later Bryant matched that mark to win a second straight state title and set the Class 1 State Meet mark. In addition, Bryant captured the 100 meter hurdles title and the 100 meter-dash title, while also taking 6th in the 300 meter hurdles while exhausted. Bryant set the Class 1 State Meet record with her 14.54 prelim time in the 100 hurdles. Bryant totaled 33 points at the meet herself to take fifth-place in the team standings, just 5 points back of a tying for the fourth-place team trophy.
Bryant has dropped the 300-meter hurdles this season in favor of the long jump. She has a season best of 17-11 which is the second best mark in Class 1 this season, and ties her for 17th on the state performance list.
Bryant gave up gymnastics after her sophomore year after reaching level 8. Her skills are still visible though. She's been seeing walking on her hands, with legs flying above her during pole vault competition.
Unfortunately for Bryant, for the second straight year the Class 1 girls pole vault will be held on Saturday, not on Friday when she would be fresher. Despite that, Bryant will her best to break the all-time Missouri girls mark in the event in about the 20th year of the event being officially sponsored by the Missouri State High School Activities Association. It appears that mark belongs to Cooper's daughter and assistant at Just Vault, Hannah Cooper. Cooper competed for her father at Excelsior Springs High School a decade ago and cleared 13-3 as a junior at the Mineral Water Classic in Excelsior Springs in 2007.
Bryant made the trip to Excelsior Springs for practice with the Cooper's on Tuesday and she and Hannah talked about Bryant trying to break Hannah's mark. Bryant makes frequent trips to Excelsior Springs to work with Todd Cooper and Hannah Cooper-Sedgewick. Besides the CSI staff, she also is coached by Rock Bride assistant Anthony Alphin and her mother Karla Bryant.
Bryant has signed with the University of Kansas next year to train under former Truman High School coach Tom Hays.
Currently, Bryant plans to compete at the Great Southwest Track Classic in early June and some street vaults this summer before heading to college at KU.
Bryant talks about clearing 13-feet and this weekend's State Track Meet:
The Columbia Tribune recently featured Bryant in a story about her track journey and Just Vault here: Khristen Bryant Columbia Tribune Article