After scary spill, Lake Travis senior Jack Mann settles for silver in state pole vault
Lake Travis senior Jack Mann had a silver medal wrapped around his right wrist, an ice pack around his left wrist.
Both hands told a story as Mann walked away from the UIL state track and field meet with mixed emotions Saturday afternoon at Myers Stadium. The defending Class 6A state pole vault champion was confident he would secure another state gold but walked away with the day's tough-luck award.
While attempting a mark of 16 feet, his pole snapped into three places and he twisted wildly in the air. A few spectators gasped and covered their faces to avoid being hit by the broken stick. After awkwardly landing in the pit, Mann quickly grabbed his left wrist.
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"When the pole snaps there's no way of knowing where you are," said Mann, who believes he sprained his left wrist on the attempt. Competing in pain, he failed to clear his next three attempts and settled for silver.
Curiously, the 145-pound Mann said it was the first time he has ever broken a pole in competition or in practice. It was also the biggest, strongest pole he had ever used.
"I was upset because I knew I was going to fly over the bar," the Texas A&M-bound Mann said.
Senior Matthew Kumar of Katy Tompkins won the pole vault, clearing 16 feet, 3 inches. Mann and Lake Travis teammate Sergio Rivas both finished at 16 feet, but Mann was awarded second with fewer misses.
Mann was not the only Central Texas athlete who left his mark during the Class 6A portion of the meet.
Vandegrift junior Kevin Sanchez, who won the state cross-country championship in the fall, struck gold again by placing first in the 6A 3,200 meters. Sanchez and Reese Vannerson of Houston Strake Jesuit were deadlocked heading into the gun lap, but Sanchez used a strong kick to pull away during the final stretch to win in 8 minutes, 57.85 seconds, nearly four seconds faster than Vannerson.
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Vandegrift earned its second gold of the day when Cristion Davis earned first place in the boys discus. Davis won with a toss of 182 feet, 1 inch, edging Mitchell Blakeslee of The Woodlands, who took second at 181 feet even.
Westlake's Ashton Torns and Humble Summer Creek's Aaron Davis had identical leaps of 25 feet, 3 3/4 inches in the 6A long jump. Davis was declared the winner because he had a better No. 2 leap.
Vista Ridge junior Chesni Scott, who said her goal was to "reach the podium," earned a bronze medal in the 6A discus. Scott, who started throwing the discus in the fifth grade, tossed the discus 149 feet, 7 inches.
In the day's most memorable event, Tomball Memorial junior Molly Haywood set a Class 6A state record and overall state record in the pole vault. On her third and final attempt, she cleared 14 feet, 3 inches, beating Coppell's Skyler Schuller, who topped out at 14 feet.
Ironically, both beat the state record that was set on Friday. Junction's Ella Strickland, competing in Class 2A, set the mark of 13 feet, 9 3/4 inches.
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After Haywood cleared 14-3, she attempted to break the national record held by two girls — Paige Sommers of Westlake Village, Calif., and Chloe Cunliffe of Seattle — who have cleared 14-9. With the crowd rhythmically clapping, Haywood fell short on three close attempts.
One of the most impressive athletes competed in Class 1A. Sophomore Taytum Goodman of Springlake Earth, who won the 800 and 1,600 meters, earned state titles for the second straight year in those races.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Lake Travis senior Jack Mann settles for silver in state pole vault
