Roland Carter, MSU track and field's greatest pole vaulter, set to enter Hall of Fame
Roland Carter remembers being a kid on his family's dairy farm in Vickeryville, one day looking down at the Wheaties box in front of him.
On the front was Bob Richards – a gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic pole vaulter. From that point on, Carter, who wasn't the biggest or strongest kid in his age group by any means, discovered a newfound passion.
He went to school at nearby Carson-City Crystal and quickly learned that his school had a track and field team where he could pursue his new interest. And over time, Carter improved more and more, eventually leading him to become a state champion pole vaulter in 1964.
From there, he went on to become the greatest pole vaulter in Michigan State track and field history.
And more than five decades later, he will hear his inducted into the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame later this week.
"It's a supreme honor, and Bob Every does a fantastic job and is the perfect person to run the Hall of Fame," Carter said. "It's a tremendous moment, and my whole life story is one of being an underdog. My whole life I've tried to prove myself on the athletic field, and it took me awhile as a kid, but I got close to the lofty goals I set for myself."
After Carter's success at Carson-City Crystal, he walked on to the MSU track and field team and found quick success – breaking the school's pole vault record in his freshman season and winning two Big Ten championships in the event.
Carter found friendship with fellow pole vaulter John Wilcox, who eventually went on to become a high school track and field coach at Corunna, and the endowed Carter/Wilcox Track and Field Scholarship at MSU is a symbol of the two's bond.
"Every recollection of those days involves me and (Wilcox), who came in from Ohio on a full scholarship," Carter said. "He rejoiced in my successes and we got along great together and challenged each other. It was a truly wonderful experience."
After his success at MSU, Carter was drafted into the army and was trained as a combat medic. Upon finishing his service, Carter picked the pole back up and pursued his dream to compete for Team USA.
"If I ever thought a workout was hard, or dealt with going through all the years of tripping and stumbling and injuries, the first time I put that USA jersey on it made every second of it worthwhile," Carter said. "It was the peak of my existence at the time putting that USA jersey on. That was a high point for me in my pole vaulting career."
Carter was a member of seven U.S. National pole vault teams and competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1972 and 1976. Though he fell short of making the team both times, Carter was the first American to clear the 18-foot mark.
After putting the pole vault behind him, Carter now works as a stockbroker, which he has done for the past 35 years and continues to do at age 76.
"I'm in the game every day," Carter said. "I can't run marathons, but I'm in the game every day and that feels good."
Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott
Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony
When: 4:30 p.m., July 28
Where: Lansing Center
Cost: $35. To order, go to lansingsportshalloffame.org.
2022 inductees: Jim Brandt, Roger Callard, Roland Carter, Josephine Mask, Dan Olsen, Rocky Shaft, Rachel Turney, 2000 Everett girls basketball team, 2001 Everett girls basketball team, 2000 Lansing Community College softball team
Sponsors: Dean Transportation, Shaheen Chevy/Cadillac, Applegate Home Comfort, Gregory Eaton Associates, ASAP Printing, Dan Henry Distributing, One North Kitchen & Bar, AF Group, Bill and Andrew Archer Financial Advisors, Magic Johnson Enterprises, Mary Ellen Sheets
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Elite MSU pole vaulter Roland Carter set to enter Greater Lansing Hall
