Wed. May 1, 2013 | Bob Putnam | Email

Cayman Ellis visualizes a moment when it all comes together, when he slashes down the runway, catapults over the bar and clears an eye-popping height in the pole vault.

“I can picture it in my head,” Ellis said. “It’s there during practice, at night.”

The height the St. Petersburg senior is trying to reach is 16 feet, 8 inches. If he does that Saturday at the Class 4A state meet, he will tie the record set by Mike Vani of Merritt Island in 2009.

Ellis’ best vault this season is 15-7, currently tops in the state regardless of classification. He did clear 16 feet at the Jimmy Carnes indoor meet at the University of Florida in January. In practice he is close to clearing his desired height.