Longmont's Elizabeth Stover found herself competing alone during the Class 4A state pole vault at Jefferson County Stadium.

Yes, there was a full field of 17 vaulters Friday, but by the time Stover entered the competition, she was the only one remaining.

Stover passed on her attempts through the height of 11 feet, 6 inches, which was a full foot higher than what runner- up Erin Ehrmantraut of Silver Creek eventually cleared.

Stover, who established the all-Colorado record at regionals last week with a 13-4 effort, set the 4A record Friday at 12-9. She then cleared 13-3 and moved the bar to 13-7. She was close on her first two efforts but went under the bar on her third.

"I wanted to try for 13-10 or 13- 6, something up there, and I didn't get it, so I'm kind of disappointed," said Stover after she won her third straight title. "But it was so much fun. To beat the all-Colorado state record last week is cool, and to break the 4A record is pretty good, too."

Stover's top competition this season has been from 5A record- holder Kelli Ehardt of Rampart, the only other Colorado vaulter who has cleared 13 feet. Ehardt will compete today.

"With everybody out when I came in, it was a little nerve- racking," Stover said. "If I didn't make it, I wouldn't place. All the best luck to Kelli today. I have three events I have to come back for today."

Amy Medina almost came away with two championships. She won the high jump with a 5-4 effort, but then had to settle for second in the triple jump behind Katie Chapman of Delta. Chapman won her title on her final attempt of the competition, leaping 35-11 to overcome Medina's 35-61/2.

"I was really excited to get 5-4, and I didn't know I had won," said Medina, who placed fourth in the triple jump last year. "Actually, I asked how many were left and the official said, 'One.' I said, 'Beside me?' He said, 'No, you have won.' Oh, my gosh. I was really excited."

Chapman knew her situation on her last attempt, and she was a little tired after going back and forth between the high-jump competition as well.

"I was just thinking, 'Just do it,' " said Chapman, who finished sixth in the high jump. "I was doing both at the same time, and the hardest part is mental. rather than physical. You just got to be in the moment."

Thompson Valley has the team lead after the first day on the strength of a victory by Laura Tremblay in the 1,600 meters and a third- and fifth- place finish by Justine Boddy and Olivia True, respectively, in the high jump.

The Eagles have 22 points, and Alamosa is second, with 191/2. Mountain View is third, with 19.

It was a tough race from the start between Tremblay, who turned in a winning 5-minute, 3.23-second effort, edging Greeley West's Kendra Gerk (5:05.40).

"Kendra is one of the best at setting a pace, and I just wanted to stay right behind her," Tremblay said of her Northern League foe. "I thought I could outkick her in the stretch, and it was really fun. I had beaten Kendra before, so I knew that I had something left in me.

"I just wanted to go hard there at the end," Tremblay said. "In the first two laps, I was not breathing too hard, the third one kind of got me and the fourth one felt good. It just turned out to be a fine race."

The day's first title went to Widefield's Joy Warrington, who won the shot put (41-1).

"It was not my PR (personal record, 43-11), but the title is great." Warrington said. "I felt pretty confident coming in, but, to be honest, when the competition started, I was pretty scared. But certainly not now."