I was definitely not expecting it,” said Austin Allen, the third-year kinesiology student and Broncos pole vaulter who was recently named CCAA Newcomer of the Year. As a transfer from Los Angeles Valley College, it’s Allen’s first year pole vaulting for the Broncos’ track and field team.I didn’t realize coming into a conference as good as ours that I would even be considered for the award. It was unexpected and a nice surprise.”Allen is the sixth-ranked pole vault athlete in Division II. He has been a pole vault athlete since the eighth grade, when he decided to join the track and field team to keep in shape during football’s off-season. Although he says he was upset when he was assigned the pole vault event, he quickly become the best in his school and was able to compete with high school students during his first year playing the sport.“When they told me I was going to do pole vaulting I was actually upset,” Allen said. “There wasn’t much running and I didn’t see the advantage of doing pole vault. In the first year I immediately fell in love after a couple of meets.”At times Allen finds it difficult to continue the sport. Sometimes he quits for a couple weeks, but he can never completely give up pole vault. He always misses the feeling he gets from doing pole vault. Allen says following his favorite athletes on social media, such as pole vault athlete Mark Hollis, keeps him inspired to continue pole vaulting. But the best advice he can give to other pole vault athletes is to find a good coach. more
