FORTVILLE, Ind. — Makenna Carpenter is a top-ranked middle school pole vaulter in the country and she's getting better every day.
Her dad is IndyCar driver and team owner Ed Carpenter and the drive to win is something they share in a place you might not expect.
A remote farm in Hancock County is where a new crop of pole vaulters is growin, and Makenna is rapidly soaring as one to watch.
"Where she's started and progressed through the potential is, you know, through the roof. It can be as high as it needs to be, even wants to be," said coach Collin Gayde at Pole Vault Elite.
Makenna, an eighth grader, is now ranked third in the country for her age group.
"She works extremely hard," Gayde said.
And she's competitive - traits that carried over from her gymnastics career.
"I actually Googled, 'What do tall gymnasts do? What's their next thing?' and it happened to be diving and pole vaulting," said mom Heather Carpenter. "She just didn't seem to have any interest in diving, so she said 'Let's try pole vaulting,' and that's how we ended up here."
Makenna, who is already 5-feet-8-inches tall, set the Indiana state age group record by clearing 10 feet. She's aiming for 11.
"So in the Olympics, you can see girls clearing 16 (feet)...girls 15, 16, men 19. Like extreme highs are almost double what I'm jumping is insane," Makenna said.
And as for whether she thinks she can get there, "I can. I want to. I think if I keep on reaching for it. Yeah, I mean, I can," she said.
Makenna said she's a mix of her mom, who graduated from Anderson High School with 14 varsity letters, and her racing dad.
"I think he's proud of me and I think he's happy that I found something I really love, and that's really good for me," she said.
Her focus now is on a consistent, powerful run, nailing the position at the box and a swing that perfectly positions her upside-down and over the bar.
"I think it all happens back when you're thinking before you go," Makenna said. "I always say a couple of words to myself, the correction before, so it's in my head and when I get down here, I know what I should do."
And even at 13, excelling requires balance - and consistency is Makenna's mindset.
"In order for me to be the best, I have to make sure that I'm fine with my family. I need to be loving and caring to them and that I'm always working my best, working my hardest, putting in maximum effort," she said. "I for sure love pole vaulting, and some days, I don't have my best, but I know I always love it and that's what keeps me going."