For Center Grove pole vaulting coach Alex Basham, one of the perks of being a middle school teacher is being able to scout out potential vaulters before they hit high school.
When he found out that Taylor Jarosinski, at one point a Level 8 gymnast, was giving that sport up after 10 years, he figured he probably had his next star.
Jarosinski came over to the high school as an eighth-grader to practice vaulting with Basham. It was there that she had an opportunity to watch and learn from Kylie Falcone, another former gymnast who wound up placing third in the pole vault at the 2017 state meet.
"I think it sparked a passion, and it sparked the drive and the hunger for it," Basham said of Jarosinski’s early introduction to the event. "She saw how well Kylie did, being able to jump 12 feet, and I think she could see a lot of those similar talents and similar strengths and started to believe in herself early on."
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That belief is already paying big dividends for Jarosinski, who has made enough improvements in the past two years to make herself a state championship contender.
The sophomore cleared 12 feet, 6 inches earlier this month during the Royal Relays at Hamilton Southeastern. She followed up with a 12-foot vault at the Johnson County championships, breaking the old meet record held by Center Grove grad Sydney Clute (who went on to win three Big Ten titles and become an All-American at Indiana University).
Center Grove girls track and field coach Wes Dodson said he knew the team had something special in Jarosinski, but not to this extent this soon.
"She was hitting jumps over the winter that were really good," Dodson said, "so I was like, ‘We’re in good shape.’ Did I know she was going to jump 12 feet? Did I know she was going to jump 12-6? As a sophomore? No. I didn’t think she was going to be that elite. But I knew she was really good."
Jarosinski topped out at 9 feet, 10 inches as a freshman, good enough to advance her to the regional before she fell a bit short of qualifying for state. Since last season ended, though, she’s put in a ton of work — which helps explain why she’s vaulting nearly three feet higher in less than a year’s time.
During the summer, Jarosinski spent a good deal of time with Center Grove strength and conditioning coach Marty Mills, improving her overall speed and power. Then, she spent the fall working on her technique with a club program.
"Then coming back with Basham and putting those three things together really allowed me to understand the sport better, and from there be able to improve," Jarosinski explained.
Whether it was the extra year practicing with the high school team, the time she’s dedicated to vaulting in the offseason or a combination of the two, it’s clear that Jarosinski’s understanding of the event is already at a very high level.
Basham, for one, was very much in favor of Jarosinski’s club vaulting in the offseason and getting "more opinions than just mine." He calls her knowledge of the sport the greatest he’s seen from any athlete.
"Whenever you talk, she understands and she can process what’s happening," he said.
Jarosinski’s short-term goals include getting past 12 feet, 6 1/4 inches, which is the qualifying standard for New Balance Nationals, and breaking Clute’s school record of 12-9. She attempted 12-10 at the Hamilton Southeastern meet but came up just short.
By season’s end, she hopes to be in position to contend for a state title. Jarosinski is right on track to do so — current HSE senior Kennedy Drish won last June with a vault of 12-6. Those two are currently the top vaulters in Indiana, and it’s a matchup Basham is eager to see play out during the season’s final meet in Bloomington.
"It’s going to be pretty phenomenal to be able to see that competition back and forth," he said. "They are great friends and they enjoy talking to each other, but you can tell there’s a different attitude whenever they come out on the runway and know that, hey, you have two of the best jumpers in the state, and who’s going to show up?"
Jarosinski will worry about that when the time comes. In the meantime, she’s focusing on her craft and trying to continue progressing at the same rate.
"It’s very exciting," she said, "but I’m definitely trying to stay humble and just not let it get to my head. Just keep working hard and get what needs to be done done."
