A year ago, standout pole-vaulter Colleen Clancy stood on the podium at the Texas 6A State Championships with a second place medal slung around her neck. In her third trip to state, fate denied her the gold medal she wanted. As a senior, Clancy needed fate’s help to give her the wild card for her fourth straight trip to Austin and her last chance at gold. Clancy’s fate paid off as she sought out gold with a vault of 13 feet 6 inches winning the Texas 6A State Championships and beating out the nearest competition by 3 inches. “It felt really great. It was like everything I had been practicing for finally paid off, my coaches pushed me hard in prepartion for this meet in evrything we did.” This was the first time a pole vaulter from Smithson Valley had won the state championships. Clancy came close the previous two years finishing second her Junior and Sophomore season’s. Clancy drew attention as a junior, winning all but two competitions during outdoor track season. A vault of 12 feet 6 inches at state gave her the silver medal. On the national circuit, she earned second at the New Balance Nationals Indoors with a vault of 13 feet and 4 inches, making her No. 1 in Texas for women’s pole vault. She took her high ranking into 2017, where she won first in seven out of nine meets. She set a new personal best with a vault of 13 feet 7 inches at the Tivy Antler Relays on March 9, beating second place finisher, up and coming freshman Avianna Trinidad, by 1 foot 7 inches. “I wanna be like her when I’m a senior and jumping what she jumps,” Trinidad said. “It’s really nice jumping with her because we’re friends. We get to share the whole experience, and it’s really nice.” Clancy did not stop at just pole vaulting. She competed in discus, high jump, 4x200m relay and the 3200m, where she placed first and set a new personal best at the UIL 6A District meet with a time of 11:31.01. Head coach Brittany Lanehart appreciated Clancy’s leadership and diversity. “Colleen has been really valuable and consistent on the track team,” Lanehart said. “She has picked up multiple events outside of pole vault and overall helped this program. She has been a real impact on the younger kids as a competitor and mentor, motivating them to get better everyday.” On National Signing Day Nov. 7, Clancy signed with the University of Alabama where she hopes to contribute to the track program from the beginning. “I want to be a 15-plus jumper at the University of Alabama,” she said. “I want to be able to compete with the big girls and win. It will take some time adjusting, but I’m so ready for the new atmosphere and can’t wait to see where it takes me.”