Wirtz Soars to Great Heights in the Pole Vault
Bridget Wirtz joined the track program at Branford High School because she enjoyed running and wanted to try the sprints. However, when one of her friends suggested that she try the pole vault, Bridget found quickly found her niche in the event, and she’s become a premier vaulter for the Hornets in the ensuing years.
“A friend convinced me to do pole vaulting, and I went from there,” says Bridget. “My friend and I joined at the same time, so I did it with her.”
Bridget appreciated the support she received from her coaches and teammates as she learned about the pole vault, including John Case, who coaches the Hornets’ vaulters. Head Coach Kevin Connell says that after Bridget took up the event in her freshman year, she was determined to reach new heights as a sophomore.
“Bridget started her freshman year, but after her sophomore year, she took ownership where she wanted to be good at this event,” Connell says. “She put in a lot of time and really got herself in great shape for pole vault.”
Bridget’s hard work has paid major dividends as she’s become a prime-time postseason performer during the past couple of years. Bridget took first place in the pole vault at the SCC West Sectional Championship and the SCC Championship in each of the last two indoor track seasons. She also won the event at the Sectional and SCC championships for the outdoor season last spring.
Bridget has finished second in her last three State Championship meets, placed fifth at the New England Championship last spring, and has also competed at nationals. Her best height is 11-foot-6 for the indoor season and 11-9 for the outdoor season. Bridget reached the latter height when she set the meet record at the SCC Championship.
Even with all of her success, Bridget feels that simply enjoying her experience as a pole vaulter at Branford is more important than where she ends up in the final standings. That said, Bridget has really worked hard to master the event, and that’s why she’s typically at the top of those standings.
“The competitions are always great. We’re all really great friends, and I don’t really see myself as better or coming out in first all the time. It’s more of a fun experience than intense competition,” says Bridget. “I saw [the pole vault] as a puzzle, and I wanted to solve the puzzle and do it right. I spent a lot of hours in the gym and it paid off.”
It took plenty of repetition for Bridget to progress in the pole vault. The improvements came slowly, but Bridget stood the course, and consistently did the drills that she needed to get better.
“I did lots of pole runs, which is just running with the pole and planting on an open field, so you don’t actually go into the air a lot,” she says. “Lots of rope stuff, lying on the ground, working your way through the movement without having to worry about gravity.”
Coach Connell tries to get Bridget involved in other events at meets to help her get ready for the pole vault. Bridget has run the 4x200 relay during the indoor season, as well as the 4x100 relay and 100 for the outdoor season, and Connell believes doing those events proves beneficial for her when it’s time to vault.
“It’s good because it would break up the meet for her, so she wasn’t focused on one thing,” says Connell. “She’d get to sprint rather than having a lot of down time.”
Bridget still has one more season to look forward to at Branford with outdoor track on the horizon this spring. After she graduates from high school, Bridget will continue her pole vault career at the collegiate level at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Massachusetts.
“I’m committed to WPI, and I’m vaulting with them next year. I first visited the school with my sister, and she’s a freshman there now. We both fell in love with it from that first campus tour,” says Bridget. “Going there isn’t about pole vaulting for me. It’s more of an academic decision with pole vaulting as a plus.”