JACKSON — Saxony Lutheran senior pole vaulter Casey Call of Perryville was one of three Lady Crusaders to sign national letters of intent for various colleges last week during a signing day ceremony in the Moeller Commons at Saxony Lutheran High School.
In addition to Call, who signed with the Harding University Lady Bisons of Searcy, Ark., senior volleyball player Tali Renshaw signed with Illinois College of Jacksonville, Ill., while teammate Lyndsi Terrell signed with Missouri Valley College in Marshall.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity,” Call said. “We went down for a visit, and their facilities were just amazing. Their coaches were really knowledgeable with [pole vaulting], and I’ve heard so many good things, so just having this opportunity is amazing.”
The Class 3, District 1 champion Lady Crusaders volleyball team (18-21) finished fourth in the MSHSAA Class 3 state finals this season. Renshaw finished with 91 kills, 31 aces, 20 blocks and 59 digs. Terrell finished with 22 aces and 117 digs.
Illinois College is an NCAA Div. III school competing in the Midwest Conference. The Lady Blues are coached by Claire Scully. Missouri Valley is an NAIA school competing in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Its volleyball team is coached by Nicole Murphy.
At Harding, Call — a two-time state medalist — will be working with seventh-year head coach Don Hood and full-time assistant pole vault coach Paul David Quillin. During Hood’s tenure, Harding has produced a pair of NCAA Division II national champion pole vaulters and three All-Americans.
Before all that happens, Call has another high school track and field season to get through, one that comes with its own set of goals.
“My goal for this next season is to just continue to raise that bar and push my PR, hopefully a lot higher this year. I’m training for indoor, and so we’ll have a whole indoor season of meets as well to prepare me for the outdoor season.”
In addition to competing for the Lady Crusaders in the spring, Call, who boasts a personal-best vault of 11 feet, also trains with River City Vault Club in Cape Girardeau.
“I train with my club for indoors,” Call said, “so I’m with a bunch of kids from a bunch of different schools in a bunch of different states, like Kentucky and Illinois. There’s a lot more vaulters. It’s more vault specific versus just track and all the other events I do during outdoor. And we’re a super close group during indoors, so that’s a lot of fun.”
Last season, Call finished in a tie for seventh at the 2025 Missouri State High School Activities Association Class 2 State Track and Field Championships in Jefferson City, clearing 9 feet, 8 inches. During the season, she also claimed sectional and district titles and finished third at the SEMO Conference meet.
Call said she’s been competing as a pole vaulter since eighth grade.
“I love the thrill,” Call said. It’s such an interesting sport. It’s different than anything else. There’s so much technique, and I’m such a perfectionist, too, so having to fix all of these small little details throughout my vault [appeals to me.] It’s on me to change it. I know that I have the ability to do that.”
When she’s not soaring over the bar, Call said she also competes in other events — sometimes just for fun.
“I’ve done some high jump,” Call said. “I threw the shot put a little bit last year when I injured my foot. I ran the 300 hurdles one time for fun, and I throw the javelin sometimes.”
No matter what, Call said, confidence is key.
“For somebody looking to get into [pole vaulting], I would say just go for it,” Call said. “It can be a little bit of an intimidating sport, and when you start off, you’re usually around a bunch of kids who have been doing it for a while. It can be a little discouraging because you’re like, ‘Why can’t I vault like them yet?’ It comes with time, and you’ll get there. You just have to stay really confident with it.”
