Austin sophomore Abby Snater always knew making it to the Class ‘AA’ track and field meet was a possibility this season, but she surprised even herself with how she qualified.

Snater increased her own school record height by four inches when she topped out at 11 feet and one inch at the Section 1AAA meet this past Saturday to enter the state meet tied for the fourth best state qualifying height with six other pole vaulters.

“I was surprised with the height, I really didn’t think I was going to make it that high,” Snater said. “I was a little nervous coming in because I didn’t make it (to state) last year, but I had been pretty consistent around the 10-7 mark.”

It was just a matter of perfecting a small problem to add the extra height in Snater’s vault. After working on the same problem all season, she finally fixed it in her most important meet of the year.

“I had been working on the top part of my vault,” she said. “I’d been having a lot of problems getting my legs back and it kind of clicked for me that day. I finally just got it, although I’m not exactly sure how I got it. Maybe it was all the drills.”

Snater is one of the youngest competitors in the field as there is only one other sophomore and one freshman. The other 24 qualifiers are juniors and seniors.

“It’s my first year so it’s kind of like a learning experience, but I really want to do my best and maybe place,” Snater said. “I was really glad to make it, because not a lot make it when they’re this young.”

While the state meet, which will be held in Hamline University Friday and Saturday, brings a huge crowd, Snater won’t be intimidated.

In fact, she’s looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be really fun,” she said. “I always liked the big meets with a lot of people in gymnastics and I like them in track too even though I haven’t’ been to as many. It’s more fun and exhilarating with a lot of people.”

Snater will compete on Saturday at 9 a.m.