Erin Winters made a career out of setting the bar higher and then eclipsing it. And by so doing, she ascended to heights that no one from Lebanon County had ever reached before.

On Saturday at the PIAA Track and Field Championships at Shippensburg University, Winters capped the most successful female vaulting career in the history of Lebanon County. The Lebanon High senior finished fifth in the Class AAA pole vaulting event.

Winters cleared the second-highest height in the competition – 12-0 – but was awarded fifth because of more misses. The gold medal went to Bishop McDevitt’s Tesia Kempski, who went 12-9.

Winters’ hardware capped a marvelous senior campaign. A week earlier, Winters had gone 12-4 to finish second at the District Three meet.

At the Lancaster-Lebanon League Track and Field Championships at Hempfield High School, Winters had topped the pole vault competition with a 12-6. Winters was also crowned the female pole vault champion at the Lebanon County meet.

A one-time multi-sport star, Winters will concentrate on the pole vault when she attends George Mason University in the fall.

– Jeff Falk