Photos courtesy of The Post & Mail, Sports Editor Andrew Shultz 

  COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. -- Columbia City High School senior Mallory Vandersaul has higher aspirations on the track and in the classroom. And the University of Saint Francis is the benefactor.

  Vandersaul, who Tuesday qualified for her second straight trip to the IHSAA State Championships, will continue her education at USF starting this fall. She committed to the USF program back in February and with the pressure off has had an impressive season for the Eagles. She finished third in the Northrop Regional (May 25) with a season-best vault of 10 feet, 4 inches.

  Last week she helped CCHS win in the Marion Sectional team championship winning the vault with a best of 8-feet, 6-inches. Earlier this season Vandersaul cleared 10 feet.

  "Mallory has continued to improve throughout the season and we're very pleased she chose USF to continue her education as well as track and field," USF head coach Sarah Thrall said.

   As a junior, Vandersaul won the Huntington North Sectional vault title with a record 10-feet, 1-inch clearing effort. She finished second in the Northrop Regional with a top vault of 10-1 to qualify for the IHSAA State Championships. She cleared 9-6 and finished in a tie for 22nd in just her second season of vaulting competition.

Signing Photo: Front, left to right: Mallory's mother, Tina; Mallory, father, Jamie. Back: CCHS coach Bob Fahl (left) and USF head coach Sarah Thrall.