The boys’ pole vaulting ended in a three-way tie for first in Boys’ Track and Field, two of those three being Issaquah High School students reaching for new heights. They each vaulted 10 feet, six inches breaking their old records. The first student to overcome this hurdle was sophomore Nolan Menting who holds the current school record with senior Dexter Zablocki. With the already challenging height, the on-and-off rain did not help them with trying to break their old personal records (PR) as the rain makes gripping the pole much harder. However, this did not stop them from trying and succeeding in gaining their new PRs. Weather is influential in the performance of the athletes and can determine whether they fail or succeed. 

Menting says that “the rain makes it much harder to pole vault, not to mention get a new PR.” But once he was able to get his new record, he talked about the happiness and adrenaline rush that comes with the sport. Sophomore Brian Kong, another athlete, says that his favorite part of the sport is when he “overcomes the obstacles and challenges that come with each meet” as each time you overcome your old records “it feels amazing.” Each athlete has their own opinion on how they would describe pole vaulting to someone trying to learn the sport, but both responded saying it was really fun and thrilling. They both also shared that “if you are looking to join and start vaulting it will be a slow start and to not give up as an athlete’s success is heavily based on perseverance.”   

In pole vaulting, both Menting and Kong states that “your effort will show in your results if you continue to try. Pole vaulting is not a forgiving sport and if you do not try hard, you will not see good results.” Kong went into deeper into detail about the ups and downs of the sport and how it can affect your emotions and how those emotions affect your meet. He states, “Failing a PR is hard mentally, but it is important to use that anger for the next meet and your next chance to try again.” The importance of your own effort is crucial, so make sure to try pole vaulting if you have good mental strength, perseverance, and some extra time to spare after school do not be afraid to try it out, unless you are afraid of falling!