Churchill freshman Addison Kleinke breaks state pole vault record (again) at Hayward Field: ‘I started setting goals instead of expectations’

“I felt there were high expectations for me, ones that I had to meet, so we had to start talking about expectations versus goals.”

By René Ferrán | Photos by Brynn Kleinke 

EUGENE — Addison Kleinke entered her freshman season pole vaulting at Churchill with high expectations. 

As an eighth-grader for the online Willamette Connections Academy, Kleinke went over 13 feet, 6 inches — a mark that would have been a state high school record.

The weight of those expectations, she recalled, meant “the beginning of the season was really rough. I was definitely feeling a good amount of pressure. I was struggling with mental toughness, staying strong mentally, and I feel like I’ve really been working through that.”

Her breakthrough came this month, when she broke the state record by clearing 13-1 at the Grants Pass Rotary. 

Saturday at the OSAA track and field state championships, Kleinke bettered that mark by going over 13-4½ on her first attempt in winning the Class 5A title. 

Kleinke didn’t enter the competition until her closest rival, La Salle Prep’s Madeline Obuchowski, had departed when she missed at 11-6¼.

Kleinke easily went over 12-2¾ to clinch the title, then made 12-10 on her second attempt before easing over her winning attempt.

“I got the height that I was really hoping for,” she said. “This is really big for me.”

Kleinke recalled the first time her coach handed her a pole, then put a bungee at 13-1 on the standards.

“I asked him, ‘What is it?’ and he was like, ‘That’s 13-1, and it’s going to be the Oregon state record,’” she said. “And I was like, ‘If that’s the record, then I want it.’”

As the season went along and the record hadn’t hit, Kleinke changed her approach.

“I felt there were high expectations for me, ones that I had to meet, so we had to start talking about expectations versus goals,” she said. “So, I started setting goals instead of expectations.”

And now, the goal becomes clearing 13-7 with the new pole she broke out Saturday, which would be a personal best and set the bar even higher for her as a sophomore.

She’ll do it knowing her biggest fan, younger sister Brynn, will be by her side. Brynn also is an aspiring vaulter — the 11-year-old has cleared 11 feet — and photographer who was shooting for several websites this weekend.

The two have developed a celebratory routine after every vault — first a big hug, then a pinky promise that they give it a kiss before having it fly away.

“It’s just awesome to have her out here,” Addison said. “It makes me want to cry.”