Throughout the next few weeks, Ocean State Running will be putting the spotlight on some of the top performances of the outdoor track and field season. While we’ve had our share of showstoppers over the past few months, these are the moments that we feel stood out the most and left the biggest impression.
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When it comes to Amber Shaw, it’s really difficult to pick just one memorable moment. It seemed that nearly every time the Ponaganset pole vaulter competed, it was a memorable moment. During the spring campaign, Shaw broke the state record four times, beginning with the Classical Classic, where she soared to a winning height of 12 feet, 1.25 inches, and ending at New Balance Nationals, where she earned All-American status with a personal best of 12-9.5, an effort that placed her fifth on the podium.
For Shaw, who also added Class B, State, and New England titles to her impressive list of accomplishments this outdoor campaign, we’re going to pick the one meet where she faced her stiffest challenge and still came out on top as the highlight of her final high school season.
As the No. 2 seed at the New Englands, the gifted junior cleared 12-9 on a scorching-hot afternoon at Noble High in Maine. That effort enabled her to beat top seed Kaylin Diglio by a foot and matched what she did at the State Meet just a week prior.
