Cross Country Runner to All-State Pole Vaulter in 6 Months
After running for over a decade, I decided to quit and put all my effort into Pole Vault. In just 6 months, I placed top 8 in the state. Here’s how I did it.
There’s no better feeling than when you land in the pit and see that the bar is still up. All the stress and thoughts going through your head are gone as your filled with a sense of relief.
I had been running races ever since Elementary School. I was always “the fast kid” in my elementary school classes. I ran in running club from 3rd grade up until 8th grade. My focus was on improving my 5k time. 25:47 in fifth grade, to 24:02 in 6th grade, to 23:30 in 8th grade. Once high school came around, I joined the cross country team. In elementary and middle school, most kids ran either to lose weight or because their parents made them run. In high school, I was surrounded by people who had the same passion for the sport that I did. My training quality improved drastically. After just one season, I cut an additional three minutes off my 5k and ran a time of 20:05.
One might expect this momentum to continue, and so did I. My improvement began to slow down as my junior year came around. My plateau discouraged me from racing. It was like I could never run faster than I had the day before. I was battling burnout, a digestive condition (which interfered with my running), and depression. Nevertheless, I continued to run until the end of my junior year. I had been a runner for so long that I couldn’t imagine myself stopping. It was part of who I was. As senior year approached, I began taking “breaks” which I told myself were temporary. They would often last days to weeks.
While I was primarily a runner during the track season, I also pole vaulted on the side. Since my focus was on running, my improvements were rather small. By the end of my junior year, my record was 9’.
Running was part of my life for the past decade. It was part of who I was. My decision to quit Cross Country was incredibly difficult, but it was something I had to do. I began my senior year focusing exclusively on pole vault. Since it was still the Cross-Country season, I didn’t have a coach to train with after school. So, I drove an hour up to Richmond and back twice a week to receive help from a professional. I had one goal in mind: qualify for the state meet. To do this, I had to either clear 10’9″ in any track meet, or place in the top 3 in the regional meet.
With 5 AP classes, it was incredibly difficult for me to spend so much time vaulting and keep my grades up. By the time the track season came around, I had made substantial improvements in my plant and swing. At the first meet, I set a new PR (personal record) of 9’6″. On our third meet, a longer pole and some more work on my swing got me another PR of 10′. By this point, I was one of the contenders to qualify for states. It all came down to regionals. After clearing 10′, I had guaranteed a spot in the top 3, but I wasn’t done there. A few minutes later, I cleared 10’6″ and then 11′.
This was the first time I had ever PR’d twice in a single meet. This was a major accomplishment for me. I not only made top 3, but I set a new standard for myself.
After another week and a 4-hour bus ride, I found myself at Liberty University (where states was taking place). The bar was starting at 10’3”. I sat down with my competitors and waited for my turn. As soon as I heard “Thrash is up”, I thought about all the training I had done and the work it took just to get there. I had two things in my head as I made my first attempt at 10’3″:
(1) Bend the pole and (2) invert. I cleared 10’3″ on my first try and beat half of my competitors in the process. Once everybody finished their turn, the official yelled “bar goes up” as the bar was raised to 10’9″, three inches below my PR. I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders when I cleared it on my third and final attempt.
I didn’t put in all this work just to clear 9 inches below my PR. “Bar goes up”, yelled the official. Eleven vaulters were left as the bar was raised to 11’3″, 3 inches above my PR. When my turn came around, the only thing on my mind was to bend the pole and invert. On my second of three attempts, it worked and I earned myself another new PR. The bar went up to 11’9″, 9 inches above my previous PR. I made three good attempts, but I didn’t make it over. After landing from my third attempt, my coach informed me that top 8 in the state qualify for all-states. When results were released two hours later, I placed 8th.
My switch to pole vault was scary at first, but my progress has been a significant motivator for me. I still have more I can improve on. A longer pole could help me improve to 12’ or 13’. Regardless of where the rest of track season takes me, I couldn’t be more proud of what myself and our team have accomplished so far.
