CHERRY TWP — When Kyle Norling cleared the school record-setting height in the pole vault earlier this season, the senior on the Moniteau boys track and field team immediately sprinted to vault coach Matt Grossman.

The two shared a hug and jubilation.

Perhaps the only other person more excited about the mark than Norling was Grossman.

It was his record that was eclipsed, after all.

“I tell you what,” Grossman said, “It was really cool.”

Grossman's daughter, Kendall — a standout vaulter in her own right for the Warriors' girls track and field team — joked that she was going to be the one to break her father's record of 14 feet, 1 inch in the pole vault.

Norling beat her to it.

He did it in dramatic 76-74 win over Karns City in late March with an effort of 14-1½.

He later broke his own mark with a vault of 14-2 at Franklin.

Norling has steadily improved over the years in the event, but things really began to click for him during the indoor season.

That has carried over to the outdoor campaign.

“It was nice because after my 10th-grade year, I made districts,” Norling said. “Then after my junior year, I made states and cleared the opening height. That let me know I could be a competitor at the state level. All winter after that I was training non-stop, lifting, core exercises, and it paid off.”

Grossman said the reason for Norling's success is no mystery.

“He's the most coachable kid I've ever coached,” Grossman said. “He does exactly what you tell him. His listens. You can really coach him.”

Grossman said he was not at all surprised when Norling broke his record.

In fact, he predicted it weeks before it happened.

“Before the indoor season, he wasn't anywhere near it,” Grossman said. “But then it started to click for Kyle. I came home one day and told my wife, 'He's going to break the record.' And he went out and did it on the first day.”

Norling began to vault in the eighth grade after spending two years helping out with the varsity track and field team at Moniteau by keeping stats and setting the cross bar on the pole vault.

While doing that, he became intrigued with the event.

“I thought to myself, 'I kinda want to try this,'” Norling said. “And it just went from there.”

The pole vault is by no means an easy event to tackle and, like many vaulters before him, Norling struggled at first.

Tall and lanky, Norling has a physique built for the event. But that has also made finding the right pole a constant pursuit for Norling.

“I'm fast enough and tall enough that I can move poles pretty easily,” he said. “I would like to get into the 15s and we just got four new poles from Baldwin.”

A pole vaulter must also not be faint of heart. Norling has been aided by his fearlessness in the event.

“I enjoy it, but at the same time it is hard,” Norling said. “There's a lot that can go wrong and I've had it gone wrong.

“I normally take off from 11 feet out, but one time I took off from eight feet, so I was super under,” Norling added. “My bottom hand slipped and the pole came back and cracked me in the eye. That and getting flung back onto the runway. That's the worst that has happened to me, but way worse has happened to others.”

Norling's time in the event is winding down.

The District 9 track and field championships are May 17 and should Norling qualify for the state meet, that will be held over Memorial Day weekend.

That's the last time Norling will compete as he doesn't plan on going to college.

“I'm going into the workforce. I've had colleges contact me, 'Hey, come vault for us,' but I picked going to work. That's why this senior year has been important to me. That's why when coaches say, 'Hey, let's take a break,' I'm like I don't really want to stop. I just want to keep going with it.”