G-P’s Grimes takes home silver in girls pole vault | San Patricio County

Tristen Grimes acknowledged that her sophomore season has been a little more difficult than her freshman one. But the Gregory-Portland High School pole vaulter pushed through, and can continue to call herself one of the state’s best.

Grimes is coming home with a silver medal after taking home second place in the Class 5A girls’ pole vault Friday afternoon at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin.

“This year was definitely a harder season,” she said in the aftermath of her silver medal win. “…. I think after regionals and getting third place and knowing I got the opportunity to come here, I knew I had to take that opportunity and do something with it.

She took that opportunity on Friday and then some. Grimes cleared a height of 12 feet, 9 inches to win the silver, finishing just behind Comal Smithson Valley’s Ella Pickron, who cleared 13 feet.

“Honestly, I didn’t imagine (getting silver),” she said. “I’ve had a really good couple of practices leading up to this meet, so I was just thinking ‘come here, build on these, and see where it gets you.'”

What it has gotten Grimes, is another step closer to her ultimate goal. It is the second straight season Grimes has taken home a medal at the state meet, with this season’s second-place finish improving upon the third place finish in the event last season.

“After this season, (getting the silver medal), I was just super proud of myself and I felt almost a sense of relief with everything I’d worked up to this season,” she said. “All of the hard practices and meets I experienced have gotten me to this point.”