Marysville High School senior Brynn Rychlik (front) recently signed to continue her pole vault career at the University of Akron. Pictured in the back row from left are MHS head track and field coach Luke Sundermeier, Jenn Rychlik, Bryan Rychlik, Jackie Rychlik and Rychlik’s club coach Austin Hicks. (Photo submitted)
Marysville High School senior Brynn Rychlik wasn’t able to hone her pole vaulting skills during a 2020 campaign.
That’s because all spring school sports in Ohio were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The all-clear has been given for a 2021 track and field season.
Rychlik hopes she can continue on her indoor vaulting success from this past winter.
She placed 14th in the national indoor competition at Virginia Beach with a mark of 12-1.2.
She previously cleared 13-0 during the state indoor meet.
That was good for third place in Ohio among all three (I, II, III) divisions of high school track and field.
Rychlik was also looking for a place she could pole vault on the collegiate level.
To that end, her mother helped.
“My mom told me to make contact with the University of Akron,” she said. “I also talked to my club coach (Austin Hicks) and he told me Akron is like heaven for pole vaulters.”
The Mid American Conference school has for a number of years been known as one of the best schools for men’s and women’s college vaulters in the Midwest.
It has, in the past, hosted pole vault conventions/clinics.
“Akron has sent a number of vaulters on to Olympic and national qualifiers,” said Rychlik. “I had also been there for an indoor meet in the past,”
The Lady Monarch senior had checked into other schools such as Kansas State of the Big 12, Grand Valley State in Michigan and Pittsburg State in Kansas.
When it was all said and done, she felt Akron was the place for her.
Rychlik began vaulting a few years ago while she was a student at Bunsold Middle School.
“Coach (Luke) Sundermeier reached out to me and said I should try it,” she said. “I did and quickly learned to love it.”
Just what does she like about an event in which athletes catapult themselves up in the sky.
“It’s a unique event and there’s a type of family atmosphere about it,” said Rychlik. “Pole vault athletes tend to stick together and continually encourage each other.”
Rychlik, who will major in exercise science, has turned into an elite vaulter after overcoming some injuries.
“I had some knee and back problems because of gymnastics,” she said.
Just how much work Rychlik will see as a first-year college athlete next spring remains to be seen.
“I hope I can vault for the varsity women’s team in 2022 as a freshman,” she said. “I know I’m going to have to work hard during my senior season here at Marysville and also this summer to prepare to vault in college.”