TAKEOFF Magazine

COOPER THOMAS in the current issue of TAKEOFF!

Cooper Thomas is an exception.

When he attended track practice in the spring of 2023 and witnessed some pole vaulters going over a bungee, he knew he wanted to excel at the sport but he had never picked up a pole.

Cooper jumped 7’6” at his first meet. He sought coaching at Pole Vault Carolina and jumped 13’ at regionals and placed 11th at the 4A NCSHAA Outdoor State Championships. By the end of summer track, Cooper improved his personal best to 13’10”. This is not a normal trajectory for a new vaulter, but Cooper spent 10 years of his life as a gymnast and he also competes in swimming and springboard diving. In anticipation of a military career, Cooper runs every day and he knows where his body is in the air.

Outside of pole vault, Cooper is involved in the Boy Scouts of America, the National Honor Society, and he contributes regularly to the betterment of his community. Cooper received the Most Improved Athlete Award for Cleveland High School’s spring track team.

“Cooper is respectful, coachable, committed, and has great athleticism. He believed we could help him, and that belief helped him improve quickly. He is mentally strong. It is hard to quantify what Cooper can accomplish because he is only beginning.” says Coach Jose

In his nascent pole vault career, the person who has influenced Cooper the most is Coach Jose because he keeps him motivated to meet his full potential. If he had the opportunity to learn from an elite vaulter, it would be Mondo Duplantis. Cooper has been told that he swings like Mondo.

Cooper’s favorite pole vault memory was the 4A Regional meet at Willow Springs High School. It was the first time he competed on a 14’ pole and he cleared 13’ for a new personal best!

Stephanie “Ayana” Jackson is featured in the current issue of TAKEOFF!

‘The summer before her sophomore year, Stephanie “Ayana” Jackson’s mom signed her up for a Beginner’s Clinic at Pole Vault Carolina. She was tired of Ayana lying around the house and knew her daughter loved unusual activities. Ayana noted the speed, power, and grace of the sport, the same elements she enjoyed about gymnastics.

To be successful in pole vault, Ayana believes you have to detach the ego.
Ayana has struggled with injuries and perfectionism. Like many former gymnasts, her perspective was either good or bad. She has grown and can now allow herself to fail and make a correction, rather than not try at all out of fear.

Aya loves to prove herself wrong so when she gets over a bar that previously looked like a mountain, it is a feeling of great accomplishment. Her favorite pole vault memory was clearing 12’ and being congratulated by her mother’s former coach who appreciated seeing Aya achieve a goal and do it with enthusiasm.

Through pole vault, Aya knows she can do anything she sets her mind to. Taking a cue from from Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality and Muhammed Ali’s “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”, Ayana programs her brain before practices and meets. She creates a plan of ex*****on with a side of unwavering belief. Ayana is working on her takeoff position, keeping her left arm pushing and being patient with the swing instead of yanking the pole immediately.

The rising senior at Hillside High School in Durham, NC plans to vault at the collegiate level and study psychology and business, with a long term goal of becoming a sports psychologist. She is the captain of her track team, secretary for the Student Government Association, and is a member of four honor societies!’

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HARRISON WILLIAMS in the new issue of TAKEOFF!!

In the summer of 2021, Team USA decathlete, Harrison Williams, limped out of the Olympic Trials at the University of Oregon injured, wearing an orthopedic walking boot, in a crushing 4th place. Surgery three months later brought training to a halt.

Fast forward to the 2023 USATF Outdoor Championships, and Harrison was back at Hayward Field with two things at stake: earn one of three spots on Team USA to compete in the decathlon at the World Championships, and prove what he knew he could do - win. This time, Harrison strode out of the stadium with a new personal best of 8630 and the gold medal.

We caught up with Harrison to talk about perseverance and how he used the injury to learn to trust himself.

Photo credits: Chuck Aragon and Jay Williams

COLIN JOHNSON!⁠
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At Pole Vault Carolina, we look for heart, character, and leadership on and off the runway and Colin exemplifies this. He is the first athlete at a meet and the last to leave. He cheers for everyone who goes before him, and is still energized to perform his best late in the evening when the crowd has dwindled. ⁠
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Colin is not interested in wasting time or money. Now 18, he works 30 hours a week in addition to attending school to pay for his practice sessions. In March of 2023, on some new longer, heavier ESSX poles, Colin jumped 15’8”, 16’, and 16’2” in the same meet. ⁠
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Colin is the kind of athlete we love to root for! Read the full article in this issue of TAKEOFF! 😎
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https://tinyurl.com/fhrdk37e
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ABIGAIL ROSE CORNELL is the sort of person who inspires you to up your own game.⁠
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Abbey is a pole vaulter, a pilot, a working actor, a cadet in the Civil Air Patrol, a competing equestrian, president of the National Honor Society, a minister of hospitality at her church, and a star senior student at Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy.⁠
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There’s more.⁠
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Read all about Abigail in this issue of TAKEOFF Magazine! ⁠😎

FROM OUR INTERVIEW with Jenn Suhr:

Jenn: “When people count you out, that’s when you have to focus in. Look at who’s in your circle, and build off of that because the outside people can bring you down fast. My career was such a personal thing and we kept it close. Many people give up or make huge changes. I just kept fighting.”

Access the full interview here! 😊

https://tinyurl.com/5dt3ta3f

Jenn Suhr
Rick Suhr

HAVANA LAYTON of Southwest Florida Vault Club gives new meaning to the term, raising the bar. ⁠
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Equally passionate about swimming and pole vaulting, Havana embraced both sports. In the fall, the Naples High School senior will trade Florida’s sunshine for the University of Vermont’s winter clime, where she has committed to compete in the two disciplines. ⁠
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Read more about Havana in this issue of TAKEOFF Magazine!

https://tinyurl.com/mpu25y6w
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LUTHER MOGELVANG from Southwest Florida Vault Club is featured in the April issue of TAKEOFF!

'Being a 6’5” pole vaulter has its benefits and its challenges. It takes more energy for a long body to invert, but that is not holding Luther Mogelvang back. The junior from Naples. Florida is fearless and unafraid to bring it on the runway. He has improved over 2 feet this outdoor season!'

Read more about Luther here! It's a 2 minute read. 😎

https://tinyurl.com/24e8wcbm

CAROLINE WEEMS of Memphis Vault Club is our featured recruit in the current issue of TAKEOFF Magazine! ⁠
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'In Memphis, Tennessee, home of Elvis and Graceland, there’s a Whole Lotta of Shakin’ Goin’ On: 3-time state champion pole vaulter Caroline Weems has committed to the University of Tennessee!⁠
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"UT has everything I am looking for in a college," she says. "It's a big school with a lot of pride, and there is a strong athlete community. They have great resources and amazing facilities. The new coaching staff under the direction of Duane Ross is dedicated to improving the program. I look forward to training under Mark Hollis alongside elite pole vaulters. I also love how Tennessee values women’s sports. ⁠
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The track and field program is on the rise, and I look forward to being a part of it. I will study Architecture, and UT has a very good program with many opportunities for jobs and internships. I knew UT would be the place where I can improve athletically and achieve my academic goals."'⁠
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Follow this link to read the whole article on Caroline!😎⁠

https://tinyurl.com/mtpfyana

Photo credit: 901HSSports

Leah Granger brings her insight into mental health and the pole vault in How to Trick Your Mind into Being a Better Vaulter.

See the link to the article in our Stories!