Six fresh faces. One new coach. Zero returning vaulters. No, this isn’t the pilot episode of your next favorite reality television show, it’s the renewed varsity pole vaulting team.
Last season, the team carried two vaulters who later left the team. They had no coach, offering the team no returning leadership. First-year head pole vaulting coach Kendra Payne has taken on the role, teaching the aspiring group the fundamentals of the fading sport.
“So far it’s been great,” Payne said. “It’s been really awesome to get to develop people who have never pole vaulted before and kind of grow this team, this pole vaulting squad that we have. I’ve got a few people who are really committed … so everyone’s doing really well and have been having a great time so far.”
With an inexperienced team, every practice has become a shared learning experience for everyone. Instead of focusing solely on competition results, the team has embraced the opportunity to grow together, building skills step-by-step while creating confidence for the vaulters.
“I think it’s really great that everyone is starting fresh,” Payne said. “Everyone’s getting to learn together. It’s been really nice to see everyone work together and congratulate each other step by step.”
Pole vaulting is considered a dying sport because of the risks that it poses. The event can be dangerous, as it requires athletes to sprint at full speed carrying a pole up to 14 feet long, or about the average length of a car, with the hopes of launching themselves in the air. Despite these challenges, the sport remains attractive because of the adrenaline rush and uniqueness it offers.
When jumping, athletes must decide how fast to run, how high to plant the pole and how to twist their bodies over the bar. Unlike common track events, pole vaulting relies on technique and precise coordination rather than just speed or strength. Because of this, athletes must train for years to master the movement required to clear the bar. Trinity’s team is still building the skills and experience needed to compete at a high level.
For many of the athletes, pole vaulting was not part of their original plan coming into the season. Junior Caroline Rush, who runs the 100 meter dash and does long jump along with pole vaulting, stepped on the runway for the first time this season. Rush shared what it has been like to add the pole vault to her events this season.
“Pole vaulting for the first time was a really cool experience,” Rush said. ”It takes a lot of upper-body strength so it’s hard to get used to that when as a runner you use your legs. All and all it’s really fun and it’s a cool experience.”
Leadership has already emerged under Payne, who sets the tone with guidance and encouragement during practice. Even without returning seniors, the athletes feel supported and motivated to push themselves.
“Coach Payne has been a really good guide and coach,” sophomore and new pole vaulter Ben Bryskin said. “She understands the sport well so she has helped me out a lot.”
As the season continues, the team hopes to build on its early progress and strengthen its team chemistry and supportive environment.
“(My) goal for the rest of the season (is) to develop a solid group of vaulters who are really committed and improving,” Payne said. “People who are just really devoted to getting better and want to stick with the sport.”