One of the best pole vaulters to ever compete at the Missouri high
school level has chosen a college.
Liberty's Rachel Homoly announced her pledge to Arkansas last week, starting in the 2023-24 school year. The senior at the suburban Kansas City school tweeted, "It's official! After lots of prayer and consideration I have decided to continue my academic and Polevault career at the University of Arkansas! Thankful for everyone who has supported me through this journey! All glory to God!!! WOO PIG."
Homoly has never lost in competition at the MSHSAA level in pole vault. She was a perfect 10-for-10 this past spring and won the Class 5 championship with a jump of 14 feet.
She is the all-time leader in the girls' division and ranked sixth nationally in 2022.
Homoly also won the MSHSAA Class 5 championship as a sophomore, jumping 12-9. Her freshman season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic or she would likely be heading into her final campaign as a three-time champion.
Her jump of 14 feet in the state finals was a new personal record. Earlier in the year, she jumped 13-9 ¾ at the Rusty Hodge Invitational and then jumped 13-10 ½ at both the Darwin Rold Invitational and Gary Parker Invitational. She also won the Suburban Conference gold Division title.
She joins an Arkansas program that typically hasn't recruited many Missouri athletes. Taylor Werner, from Ste. Genevieve, competed for the Razorbacks from 2017-2020.
Since 2017, only three Missourians have been on the Arkansas roster: the others were Nixa's Sydney Hammit and Camdenton's Kylie Meier.