Juhler tops PHS record twice
Senior who's Sac-Joaquin Section's best pole vaulter is ranked No. 5 in state
The best girls pole vaulter in the entire Sac-Joaquin Section is a student at Pioneer High School.
Senior Maddy Juhler holds that distinction and is quickly becoming one of the best in the entire state. Juhler broke her own program record of 12 feet, 1 inch on Thursday afternoon during the River City dual meet in West Sacramento. First, she cleared 12 feet, 3 inches to top her own mark. Then, she did it again, clearing 12 feet, 7 inches to set a new career-high.
According to her pole vault coach Michael Hochderffer, Juhler hasn't even accomplished their overall goal yet, which is an even 13 feet.
“She had really good attempts at 12 -9 but just needed a bigger pole,” Hochderffer recalled. “She is off to Stanford on Saturday to jump in the rain.”
Juhler is now ranked fifth in California and No. 1 in the SJS. The superb senior competed in the CIF State Track & Field Championships last year as a junior and is well on her way to doing so again. Head coach Barry Reese credits Hochderffer for Juhler's growth over the past threeplus years.
“I don't say this just because he's one of my coaches but he is probably one of the better pole vault coaches in the area. They spend a lot of time together working on technique, watching videos and doing the finer points of the art of pole vaulting,” Reese said in 2023. “I would say it is her focus and drive to be a very good pole vault athlete and it's him and his ability to teach the technical aspects of it and to push her. She really enjoys it and he eats, sleeps and breathes pole vault so it's the perfect pair for those two to work together. I think that's what got them to this point in her track career.”
Juhler wants to be a forensic scientist for a career and is seeking out colleges that are the best of both worlds for her desired major and athletic career.
“She's been vaulting since she was a freshman so she is kind of a leader out there with that event of athletes. It's almost like having an extra coach the way she steps in and fills that void,”
Reese explained last year. “She's a leader, pleasant to be around and kids listen to her. As a coach, you wouldn't want much more in an athlete than what we have in her.”
Juhler will be representing the Patriots this week during the Stanford Invitational at Cobb Track and Angell Field.