De Pere vaulting duo aims to go out on a high note
The Green Bay area has been spoiled with dominant girls pole vaulters in recent years.
Two of the finest ones will cap their decorated prep careers Saturday in La Crosse at the WIAA Division 1 state track and field meet.
Olivia Fabry and Grace Kowalkowski will enjoy their final vaults as teammates before going off to compete at different NCAA Division I colleges.
The De Pere seniors would like nothing more than to go out occupying the top two spots of the state podium at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
“We want each other to do their best,” said Kowalkowski, who will attend the University of Minnesota. “I think it will be weird having our last meet competing as teammates.”
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This season marks the fourth straight year the De Pere teammates have advanced to state together.
Kowalkowski is aiming to win her first championship after placing in the top three, three times, including a runner-up finish in 2016.
Fabry is looking to earn a third trip to the podium and repeat as the Division 1 state champion.
If they both can reach the podium it would mark the seventh straight year that at least two girls from the Green Bay area have placed in the event for Division 1.
If one of them can win the state championship, it would mark the fourth time in five years a De Pere girl has accomplished the feat.
“There is a small bit of competitiveness but as we near the end of our senior year it’s more friendship than anything else,” said Fabry, who will attend the University of Notre Dame.
“I want her to do well. It’s nice to have her around at every meet. Not only is she a good vaulter, but she’s an awesome person. She’s so funny and a really good friend. We push each other at every practice and every meet.”
The consistency between the De Pere pair has been quite impressive.
Fabry has reached at least 12 feet at some point in the season all four years. Fabry is tied for the state honor roll lead with a mark of 12-0 feet.
Kowalkowski has done so in her previous three state appearances, including when she set a personal-best mark of 12-3 as a sophomore in 2017. Her season-best mark this year is 11-9.
The duo will have their work cut out for them at state, Hartland Arrowhead sophomore Julia Moore is seeded first with a mark of 12-0 from sectionals. Fabry is seeded fourth, and Kowalkowski is seeded eighth.
“We take it for granted 11 feet or 10-6, but that’s pretty good,” De Pere coach James Boyd said.
“They’re just consistent and competitive. If one gets it one meet, the other one gets it the other meet. It’s been going all four years with those two.”
The dominance of the girls pole vault in the Green Bay area started well before Fabry and Kowalkowski first picked up a pole after being inspired by Wrightstown’s Bonnie Draxler at their gymnastics studio.
Since the pole vault was introduced as an event at the WIAA meet in 2001, a Green Bay area girl has won the Division 1 title 11 times, starting with Ashwaubenon’s Liza Lewis as a three-time champion.
De Pere’s Kylie Swiekatowski won state titles in 2014 and 2016, the latter of which she set the WIAA Division 1 state record with a clearance of 12-7.
Draxler holds the WIAA state meet record for all divisions and is the all-time leader in the state with a clearance of 13-3 in 2014 to win a fourth Division 2 state title.
Fabry won the state title with a clearance of 12-6 last year to come within an eyelash of Swiekatowski’s WIAA Division 1 record.
Fabry also became one of six girls in the state to clear 13 feet when she went 13-1 at the Dan Baker Invite in 2017. Although she hasn’t been able to reach that mark since, Fabry feels she is a much more consistent vaulter now.
“My nerves are a lot more under control,” said Fabry, who has been more nervous watching her younger sister, Sophia, compete on the track and field team as a freshman this season. “If I don’t do the best at a meet, I used to freak out. I think that comes with experience.”
Fabry and Kowalkowski entered high school in 2016 in what was a dominating year for local competitors in the girls pole vault.
Four girls from the Green Bay area occupied the top four spots on the state podium and the then De Pere freshmen ranked in the top five of the state honor roll, which had eight Green Bay area girls in the Top 20.
Fabry and Kowalkowski are the only local competitors on the state honor roll currently, ranking first and fourth, respectively. They both are in the Top 15 of all-time state honor roll.
“A lot of it is consistency,” Kowalkowski said. “A lot of it is mental and having the confidence to go up.”
Fabry and Kowalkowski have pushed each other throughout their careers to achieve similar success, but are actually quite opposite in many ways.
Kowalkowski is taller with blonde hair. Fabry is shorter with brown hair.
Fabry is very superstitious, having to always do her warm-up vaults with her sweat pants on and rolled up above the ankles.
Kowalkowski isn’t much for superstitions.
Fabry is a bit of social butterfly, not hesitant to walk up to anyone to talk with them. Kowalkowski is a bit more shy and reserved.
“We’re kind of opposites, but it actually works out because we balance each other out,” Kowalkowski said.
The De Pere seniors are hoping their vaults will leave the bar balanced in place Saturday.
Regardless of if they can place together again or not, Fabry and Kowalkowski are going to enjoy their final go around together.
“I’m happy to be there again,” Fabry said. “It’s exciting because I know Grace and I are both not done, which is nice because I love vaulting. But it’s sad my high school days are coming to a close because I’ve had so much fun with the De Pere track and field team.”