Vaulting Over the School Record

Pole vault, a commonly underrepresented event in track and field, has been brought back into the spotlight at Haverford College by a first-year student-athlete.

An athlete from a young age, Taniya Denson ‘29 juggled cheerleading and basketball at her Pittsburgh-area high school before joining the track team during her sophomore year. Initially hoping to become a sprinter, Denson was persuaded by a friend to try pole vaulting.

At first, the experience was daunting. She was training with 14-year-olds who had been vaulting since the sixth grade. However, she progressed quickly, largely due to the support of her high school coach.

“The first day, I was the last one there because he was like, ‘Yeah, you’re a pole vaulter.’ He kept making me do the same stuff and repeating it, and the rest is history,” said Denson.

Denson faced ups and downs along the way. She made significant progress during her first year of vaulting, then saw her performance stall the next season. But by her senior year of high school, Denson was on track to make history.

She broke her high school pole vault record of 10 feet, 6 inches (10’ 6”) her senior year by clearing a height of 10’ 7”. She broke it again by vaulting 10’ 10”.

Denson decided to continue her pole vaulting journey at Haverford. She saw that the record was 10’ 4”, set by Mairead Ferry ‘18 in 2015, and felt confident in her ability to break it. After all, it was six inches lower than her personal best.

At the Ramapo Invitational, held on January 16, 2026 at the Armory in New York City, Denson broke the school record by vaulting a height of 10’ 6”. It was her second indoor meet with the Haverford College Women’s Track and Field team.

A month later, Denson jumped an all-time personal best of 11’ 1.75” at Haverford’s Alumni Field House at the 2026 Keogh Invitational on February 20. A few weeks after that, she broke the school record for the third time in Boston by jumping a height of 11’ 5” at the 2026 Tufts Final Qualifier meet on March 7.

Denson reports, “I barely remember the jump. Whenever I vault, I remember the run really well. I remember the jump up, but as soon as I jump up, I don’t remember that part for some reason. But then I remember, I come back to it after I get over it and I’m like, oh nice.”

She attributes her confidence and aptitude to the advice of her high school coach. “We got to such a good relationship where he trusted me.” His faith in Denson’s abilities helped her to trust herself.

Additionally, she has been able to use thicker poles when she vaults, which help her to project herself to new heights. The thicker poles are stiffer and thus require more force to use. Denson pulls out the thicker poles at meets, when she feels faster and stronger due to adrenaline. About switching poles between runs, she says, “As long as you do the same vault, the same run, you’ll be fine.”

For her accomplishments in the pole vault, Denson was selected as the Centennial Conference Field Athlete of the Week on Feb. 24, 2026. She also received a 2026 USTFCCCA All-Metro Region nomination for her performance in the pole vault. At the end of the indoor season, Denson’s personal record was ranked the 76th best in Division III.

Despite the increased attention to her vaulting, Denson tries to keep the pressure at bay. She takes things one meet at a time. “It’s an interesting thing that we do, that we put so much pressure on it, because it’s really just another meet.”

Her next big goal is to keep getting better. She says, “Even the higher heights, they’re very attainable.” Her high school coach told her that she could be jumping 12’ 6”. He believed in her potential, and she does too.

Along with her accomplishments, Denson holds the knowledge that she is one of very few Black pole vaulters, let alone female vaulters. She attributes this fact to the inaccessibility of the resource-dependent sport.

“I just happened to go to a school with no extra strings attached, but especially at the high levels, those people are getting money spent on this training,” says Denson. “Now I see a bit more people of color, but that’s a big thing too.”

Though she finds it empowering to be one of the few Black female vaulters, Denson feels that the lack of diversity in the sport is “definitely recognizable,” especially when “every other event has more diversity.”

“I gotta represent,” she says.

In spite of the pressure she faces at competitions, Denson is grateful for the people that watch her vault. “I really appreciate it. It just shows you that you’re someone.” 

She is indeed someone: a determined vaulter with intentions of breaking records, for Haverford and for herself, one meet at a time. After all, her next record is just one jump away. 

Update: Shortly after this piece was written, Denson broke the Haverford College women’s outdoor pole vault record by clearing a height of 11’ 5.75” at the Ursinus College Springfest Meet on April 4.