State Champion Luigi "Gino" Colella of Thousand Oaks is the top returner in the Pole Vault in 2014, having also won titles at CIF SS Masters, CIF SS D2 Finals, and Ventura County. Colella's PR came at CIF Southern Section Finals, where he vaulted a lifetime best of 16-04.75.  He nearly repeated the feat at the State Finals, settling for an impressive 16-04 clearance.

Two other 16 foot returners that will be breathing down Colella's neck are August Kiles of Tamalpais and Shane Atkinson of Great Oak. Kiles, who cleared 16-04 last year, is a very accomplished vaulter. The NCS champion and took home titles at K-Bell Invitational and Sacramento Meet of Champions last year, and has already cleared 16-02 this winter at Reno. Atkinson, on the other hand, is relatively new to the elite ranks, having cleared 14 feet for the first time last Spring - and eventually improving that to 16-0 by season's end. 

It's also worth noting that five vaulters cleared 15 feet already last weekend at the California Indoor State Meet, and the three already mentioned weren't among them. Carl Johansson of Orange Lutheran took the title with a 16-0 clearance, already improving on his 2013 best of 15-10. The pecking order is far from set among this talented, senior-heavy crew of returners in California.

Luigi "Gino" Collela of Thousand Oaks wins  Ventura County Championships titile with 16-01 clearance
 

Pole Vault Top Returners