MARION — Disappointed with the way things went at the IHSAA Boys Track and Field State Finals, Mt. Vernon senior pole vaulter Keagan LaBelle got another shot of finishing his high school career on a positive note at Saturday’s Midwest Meet of Champions at Indiana Wesleyan University.
LaBelle just missed earning a medal at the June 4 state meet in Bloomington. Three vaulters tied for ninth, the final spot for medals, by clearing 14-feet.
LaBelle had cleared 14-feet, too, but he had one miss at the height. Those that finished ahead of him had cleared the height without a miss. LaBelle finished 14th.
The meet at IWU was an all-star event that included the top senior track and field athletes from Indiana versus the top talent from Michigan.
On Saturday, LaBelle cleared 14-feet and 14-6 on first attempts. He was unable to clear 15-feet, which would have tied his personal best, and finished in fifth place. It put him on the medal stand.
“The state meet was definitely frustrating,” LaBelle said. “I knew I could do better. This meet, I just calmed myself down. It was the last time I would ever be pole vaulting for a high school event. I just went into it, didn’t think much about it, jumped, and did my best.”
LaBelle finished two spots ahead of where he was seeded.
“There were some spectacular athletes there,” Mt. Vernon coach Bruce Kendall said. “It was fun. It was a non-pressure day and (Keagan) scored for the team.”
The Marauder standout was one of four Indiana vaulters in the competition.
Culver Academies George Bourdier, who finished third at the state meet, won at 15-9.
Michigan’s Cole Sheldon was second and Indiana’s Parker Speth, from Castle, placed third. Both cleared 15-6. Speth was fourth at the state finals.
Michigan’s Landon Cosby was fourth at 15-3. Indiana’s Connor Burries, the state runner-up from Center Grove, and Michigan’s Ethan Lingle, did not clear a height.
“It definitely gave me one more opportunity to show that I can get up there high on the bar and place at a really prestigious meet,” LaBelle said. “It makes me feel a lot better than I did.
“(The Midwest Meet of Champions) was a super cool event,” he added. “They gave us jerseys and nice uniforms for free. The competition and all the athletes there were unreal. The competition was great and the athletes were even better. It made the meet more fun when it is best against best.”
Michigan won the meet 242-224.
The all-star event was LaBelle’s first of two this summer. A running back and defensive back for Mt. Vernon’s Class 4A state championship football team, he and Marauder quarterback Gehrig Slunaker will play in the Indiana Football Coaches Association North-South All-Star game on Friday, July 15 at North Central High School.
“This pushes me to my football season starting at Marian University,” LaBelle said. “It keeps me busy and keeps me working.”
Beginning this fall, LaBelle will compete in both football and track and field at the Indianapolis NAIA school.
