Grant Krieger of the Blake School verbally committed to Wake Forest this past weekend. Grant will compete as a pole vaulter and decathlete at Wake Forest (emphasis on the pole vault). Grant also considered Missouri, North Carolina, and Oral Roberts.
Grant was one of four Blake School athletes to win an individual State title at last years State track meet and is the two time defending Class A State Pole Vault Champion. Grant has finished first in virtually every Minnesota high school track meet he has entered in the past two years including the 2011 Hamline Elite Meet (finished second last year), Lakeville Mega Meet, and the Chub Bettels Invitational.
Grant holds the Blake School pole vault record at 15-6 (just a few inches off the All Time Minnesota State record). In addition to his high school success, Grant has also earned All American honors on the national stage in the summer USATF Junior Olympic National Championships.
The Blake School historically has performed well in distance events, including two high school All Americans last season (top six in the country in their respective events at the New Balance Outdoor High School Championships). Last season, Carolyn Nye (2015) and Grant swept the individual Class A State pole vault titles. This season the pole vaulting squad has more depth. Four years ago, the Blake School did not have a pole vault program. Today, led by Grant and Head Coach Charlie Cracraft (and pole vault coach), the Blake School has one of the top high school pole vault programs in the State.
The State of Minnesota has three of the top high school pole vaulters in the country with Grant, Lee Bares from Lakeville South and Mitchell Valli of Buffalo. All three will most likely break the All Time State High School this upcoming season. The Hamline Elite Meet feature race may in fact be the pole vault this year!
Grant will be competing at several national championships this upcoming indoor season including the Reno Pole Vault Summit and the New Balance Indoor Championship. He has set high individual goals for his last high school season. A vault at or near 17 feet is realistic for his final track season, as is closing his season as one of the top six pole vaulters in the country as an All American at the New Balance High School Outdoor National championship.