A&M Consolidated pole vaulters Kris Wulfson and Samantha Villacin compete against each other for first place at most track meets, and they could vie for a cherished trip to state Saturday.

Villacin and Wulfson both cleared 10 feet, 6 inches to take second and third at the District 13-5A meet. Wulfson has a career-best of 12 feet and Villacin has cleared 11-6. They are expected to compete against two more accomplished vaulters from Rockwall and Belton at the Class 5A Region II meet in Waco on Saturday morning, with the top two finishers advancing to state.

"It's all there cooking for hard feelings between them, but that is not the case," Consol coach Rodney Wellmann said. "They've handled it fantastic. I wish they could explain to me the process of getting along, so I could take that and put it with my cross country team. It seems like in cross country we have competitive teams, and everyone's jostling for position. There's never been one negative word said by either one of the vaulters."

Wulfson and Villacin train together under the guidance of College Station pole vault guru Brad McFarling. They also work together at part-time jobs and serve as analyst and cheerleader for each other during competitions.

"Sam has a really strong run, so she always knows when I'm doing something weird with my run and she'll point it out to me," Wulfson said. "I'm a little bit better on top of the vault, so I'll let her know about her plant and things like that."

Both seniors have made steady improvement during their high school careers. Wulfson has made the biggest move over the last two years, coming close to Brittany McFarling's school record of 12-1 1/2.

"This year, she has been a little bit more determined than me and that showed," Villacin said. "That definitely opened my eyes and inspired me to keep up the competition. Kris is a great competitor, and you can tell it every time she goes down that runway."

Villacin and Wulfson, who both are being recruited by several colleges, came to the event in different ways. Wulfson started vaulting in the seventh grade after watching a video about sports being offered in middle school. Villacin had a background in cheerleading and gymnastics and was a sprinter as a high school freshman when a coach suggested she try vaulting.

Although it would be perfect for Consol if both vaulters made it to state, Villacin and Wulfson are more likely to compete against each other for one of the berths.

"If she's in position to win, I'm going to be right there cheering for her, and I know it would be the same for her," Villacin said.

• Larry Bowen's e-mail address is larry.bowen@theeagle.com.

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