'Going forward, no matter what': Senior pole vaulter Kai Eisenhardt’s love letter to Penn

Banner year doesn’t even begin to describe senior pole vaulter Kai Eisenhardt’s 2025. 

Eisenhardt's progression in pole vault has been a slow burn. Throughout her time at Penn, she’s consistently been a valuable contributor to Quakers’ track and field team, previously notching top-10 results in her sophomore and junior year at the Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Track and Field Competition. Going into the 2024-2025 indoor season, her personal record was 3.82 meters — good for seventh overall in Penn program history. 

Then came her senior year. 

She smashed her previous personal record in December’s Penn Opener with a 3.95m first-place finish. Her indoor season was a series of new personal best after new personal best, culminating in a Penn indoor school record of 4.11m. In the outdoor season so far, she’s climbed the ranks in the record books by hitting 4.10 in April, Penn’s second-best outdoor mark ever recorded.

In conversation with The Daily Pennsylvanian in her sophomore year, Eisenhardt described the 3.96m (13 feet) as “elusive”, “lofty”, and “a dream”. Now, she’s hit that mark at nearly every meet she’s competed at in 2025. 

It’s a truly astronomical trajectory for a star that her coach Joe Klim has been waiting to rise for years.

“Over the years, Coach Klim always told me, ‘Kai, you don't even know how good you can be, because you don't get it right now, but when you do, you're going to be so amazing,’” Eisenhardt said. 

The piece that had to fall into place for this year’s success was confidence. As much as technique and physical work is important in the sport, Klim describes the biggest challenges faced by jumpers he’s coached over the last 13 years to be mental. 

“It's hard for me to believe that there's [an event] more mentally challenging than pole vault — if anybody says that there is, they're full of it,” Klim said.

“In pole vault, you can [achieve a personal record] and then keep going, but you always end on a fail," Eisenhardt said. "So no matter what it's like, okay, you had the best meet of your season, and yet you end on a fail. And mentally, that can be — even just subconsciously, I don't think we always realize it — a really weird feeling.” 

Overcoming the sport’s more mentally demanding elements, such as bouncing back after a missed attempt or maintaining your cool to focus on the next height even if you just achieved a personal record, has been a game-changer for Eisenhardt. 

“The most important aspect has been believing in myself and not being afraid, no matter what,” Eisenhardt said. “I try to go for every single jump at a meet because I don't want to look back and wish that I went for it. I think I've done a really good job of that this season — every single time going forward, no matter what — and it's worked out.”

But it’s not just her attitude towards pole vault that has shifted throughout the seasons. 

When she was in high school, Eisenhardt’s father began his fight against lymphoma. Being near family — much of Eisenhardt’s extended family is based in the Philadelphia area — and Penn Medicine's skilled medical team while her father was facing the disease was paramount in her decision to commit to Penn.

In summer of 2023, Stephen Eisenhardt died at age 58 due to cancer.

“You can look up to the Penn Hospital [from Franklin Field], and the room my dad was in for his last few weeks was overlooking the track. During that time at the very end of sophomore year, he was able to look out and watch during Ivy Championships. Knowing that and being there with him, Franklin Field will forever probably be one of the most special places for me,” Eisenhardt said. “Every time I can look up, I know that that's where he was looking out at the track. I now find so much comfort and happiness in that, because I think it's just such an amazing thing that probably not many other people get to say, or have those personal experiences.” 

Eisenhardt felt her father’s presence in many ways throughout her athletic and personal journey at Penn. She remembers Stephen always emphasizing the importance of being present and grateful — chasing goals is great, but at the end of the day it’s the little things that mean the most.

“My dad would always say, ‘You just need to go out there, have fun and smile, because it's such a cool experience. And if you just enjoy it, you'll jump really high’,” Eisenhardt describes. 

Eisenhardt’s father worked as a lawyer, representing a wide range of illustrious clients.

“Over time, he realized that, while that was all so great, you really do just need to soak in every moment. Enjoy what's happening presently in your life, because you never know what could happen in the future or what the future does hold,” Eisenhardt said. 

Appreciating the simple pleasures of campus life, in line with her father’s philosophy, has brought her fulfillment in her last few months of college.

 “Knowing that he wanted me to enjoy every possible moment I had here at Penn and in life has really opened my eyes to do that," Eisenhardt said. "I walk around and just try to soak in the beauty of the campus on Locust Walk, in Franklin Field and the Ott Center. I've definitely enjoyed all the small moments this year, and it's something that I'll never forget. I'm so happy I did, because it's been one of the most amazing pole vault years for me ever.” 

Eisenhardt credits her new perspective — letting go of fear and enjoying her athletic journey to the fullest extent — for propelling her sensational success in pole vault this year. 

“This year I was like, ‘You know what? Not only do I want to just give it my best shot, I have nothing to lose,’” Eisenhardt said. “I wanted to put it all on the table, and I know my dad would be so proud to see that I did get the indoor school record, and have continued to PR. Being here being a track athlete at an Ivy League school is such an amazing experience. That really has led me to do so well this year, because I've been trying to just enjoy every moment of it. I only have a few more meets left now, so really giving everything my all… [while] enjoying it and having fun has definitely changed the game for me.” 

Changing the game, for Kai Eisenhardt, could mean rewriting the record books. Outdoor, her 4.10m mark is second overall in program history, and the season isn’t over yet. She’s initially hesitant to name concrete goals for the rest of the season, saying she doesn’t want to put a mental cap on how high she might jump.

Coach Klim, however, has no such qualms.

“She’s selling herself short. The goal is to qualify for nationals, and she just basically said that she doesn't know if she can,” Klim said,. “She can. It's not going to be easy, but she has the ability to do that.” 

Eisenhardt chuckles, saying that’s true — it’s a lofty goal, but once 13 feet felt lofty, and now it’s her norm. Her senior season is shaping up to be a truly glittering capstone to a tremendous pole vault career. 

And yet — in the spirit of Stephen —  that’s not all there is to it.

In the last few years, she’s cleared new heights, which once seemed like pipe dreams. She’s also faced torrents of change and loss, which taught her a new way of looking at the world. And she’s cleared every bar that has stood in her way as a pre-veterinary D1 student athlete experiencing unthinkable challenges.

As the cherry trees bloom down Locust and Philadelphia spring sets in on Eisenhardt’s last few weeks as a Quaker pole vaulter, what she can be most proud of is the fact that no matter what she’s faced, she keeps launching herself at the next thing — running full speed, shoulders poised, toes pointed — all the same.