Polk County senior Jake Justice soared to a 15th-place finish Friday in the New Balance Nationals Indoors track and field meet in New York City. 

Competing in the Emerging Elite division at the Fort Washington Armory, Justice joined the competition with the bar set at 14-4 and cleared that height, but was unable to successfully complete three vaults at 14-10, which would have matched his personal best. 

Justice competed against a field comprised of vaulters from all over the nation. Four vaulters in the field cleared 15-3 3/4, with Daniel Dean of Langhorne, Pa., winning the competition with the fewest jumps to clear that height. 

Daniel Layton of Waynesburg, Pa., Yariel Soto of Centerville, Ohio and Clay Franklin of Westport, Ky. were the others to clear 15-3 3/4. 

Justice, who has signed with East Carolina, qualified for the New Balance meet when he cleared 14-10 during the North Carolina state 1A indoor track and field championship. 

– Submitted by PolkSports.com