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North Carolina –Luke Ward of Mount Tabor cam e close to winning a state championship in the pole vault at the NCHSAA 4-A track and field state championships last May. Ward, along with Joe Devries of Apex and Thomas Popek of Ragsdale, all cleared 14-feet. But it was Devries who was declared the winner based on fewer misses, leaving Ward and Devries tied for second.Ward, a senior who finished fourth in the 4-A indoor track championships last month, is hopeful that his strong indoor season and the memory of his near miss last spring will help lead to a state outdoor- title in May.“Luke is stronger, faster and very flexible,” said Summer Riley, who coaches the pole vaulters for the Spartans. “I expect to see him on the podium (at the state meet). I’m also eager to see where he’ll finish up by the end of this season.”Two years ago, it didn’t seem likely that Ward would eventually rank among the state’s elites in his specialty event. Right before the start of the outdoor season, he suffered a horrific injury while training in High Point. A shattered right ankle required surgery and sidelined him for eight months. While Ward’s physical therapy went well, that was not the case with his frame of mind.“It was a mental block,” said Ward, who is also active with Mount Tabor’s Youth in Government delegation. “All I kept thinking about was the possibility that I could get hurt again. Finally, I realized that I was only holding myself back because of how I was thinking.”Ward’s self-revelation, Riley explained, set the wheels in motion for an inspired and successful comeback. “Once he got his mind right, that’s when he got over the hump,” she said. “That’s when Luke decided to chase his dream instead of embracing his fear. As a coach, it’s been a joy to watch him grow and become a leader.”With the outdoor season just beginning, Ward is upbeat about what he can accomplish in his final season of high school-track. He sees no reason why he can’t go far beyond his current personal best of 14 feet, 1 inch.“I feel like I can go 15-feet, 15-feet-6 inches,” he said. “It’s all a matter of me getting more reps in practice and competition. I’ve learned how to work smarter and not harder. The work that I’m doing with my mobility, flexibility and training is setting me up very well for the outdoor season.” source
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