By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Two state championships and a school record will turn some heads. Hoisington senior Shellamae Farmer has won the last two Class 3A state pole vault championships, setting a new school record in that event. She recently committed to continue her track and field career at Wichita State University.
Farmer cleared 10-0 early on in her freshman season. The Beloit regional that year included Smoky Valley's Belle Peters, who ranks No. 3 all-time in Kansas, and a host of other good athletes. Farmer cleared 9-6 that day, the same height as the final qualifier, but finished in the hard-luck fifth-place spot to miss state.
It's been all rainbows since. As a sophomore, Farmer cleared 11-6 at state, beating Central Kansas League rivals Breanne Peters and Ava Jones by a foot for the gold. Last year it again came down to Farmer and Peters. Peters cleared 11-0 on her first attempt to take the lead. Down to her final attempt at 11-6, Farmer became the lone vaulter in the field to clear the bar at that height to secure her second title.
