North Georgia –Everything really fell into place in a hurry for Hunter Mallard when he started to learn the ropes of the pole vault. As a freshman in 2014 at Gainesville High, he noticed it took strength, speed and lots of technique to master it appropriately. Now, less than a year after first trying his hand at this most complex event, he’s going for a national title.
“I found that the pole vault was unique and looked very interesting,” said Mallard, who doubles his time conditioning with football during the summer.
Mallard, a seventh-place finisher at the state championship meet this spring in Class AAAAA for Gainesville, will take part in the USA Track & Field National Junior Olympics on July 26 at Turner Stadium in Humble, Texas. The 15-year-old rising Red Elephants sophomore qualified second overall out of the 15-16-year-old age group with a mark of 12 feet, 7 inches at the regional meet Sunday in Rock Hill, S.C. At nationals, he’ll compete against about 35 other qualifiers from around the country.
Not sure yet the mark he’s going to strive for at nationals, he knows that he wants to win. He’ll start with a more manageable height — around 11-0 — when he arrives in Texas. Then he’ll start calculating all the variables in his head, including temperature and other athletes’ marks before marking his next goal.
He’ll take multiple poles to give different options once the day of the meet arrives.
“It’s pretty stunning to know that I just started the pole vault this year and am already in national-level competition,” Mallard said. “It feels awesome.”
Mallard said the biggest factor in his success is the unwavering support of his mother, Lara Mallard.
“I have the most supportive mom in the world,” Hunter said. “I don’t think I could be as serious as I am about the sport without more
