In an all-around team effort, Issaquah Men’s Varsity Track and Field beat Eastlake on April 17 by a score of 77.5 to 67.5. A contributing factor to the win was the Men’s Pole Vaulting team, with junior Nolan Menting tying his personal best at 12 feet and winning the event. Senior Dexter Zablocki placed third with a height of nine feet, a small downgrade from his season record of 10’6’’. Other notable results included a personal best for junior Aiden Gandhi and tying a season record for junior Brian Kong. Most impressively, junior Ethan Lee set a new personal best with an increase of two feet, going from 6’6’’ to 8’6’’. Overall, Issaquah Men’s Pole Vaulting achieved a total of five point five points out of the total possible nine, marking a strong win for Issaquah Field.
With only a personal best of 6’6’’, Lee started at the lowest height of 6’. It is to be noted that pole vaulters start their competition relative to their personal bests: better pole vaulters initially start at taller bars. Practicing and competing for only three months, not much was expected of Lee. However, in a surprising show of skill, Lee blew past the 6’6’’ mark and kept going higher and higher until ultimately reaching his limit of 8’6’’. Discussing his new personal record, Lee said, “I am a little disappointed because I almost had nine feet at the end. I got the height; I just hit the bar on the way down, but it’s definitely an improvement since my last meet.” Competing for three years throughout high school, Menting has a lot of experience. His experience and skills were on full display, as he cruised his way to a win with a height of 12 feet. When asked about how he improved, Menting said, “It’s just reps and reps and reps. The technique is really, really important.”
Both Menting and Lee show the tenacity, dedication, and addiction to adrenaline that pole vaulting takes. As Coach Tae Sung Park said, “I am really proud of our team.” Though the point total of 5.5 may seem insignificant to the total of 77.5 points, considering the number of events within the meet, pole vaulting actually contributes a lot to the team. Plus, the consistency of excellence that Issaquah Men’s Pole Vaulting throughout the season demonstrates a high standard reflected upon the entire Issaquah Men’s Track and Field.
