AUSTIN — The celebration could be heard through all parts of Mike A. Myers Stadium.
He clipped the bar and wasn’t able to improve his mark, and set a new personal best clearance in the pole vault, but it did not matter to Gregory-Portland’s Ryder Harrison.
Argyle’s Zack Holt had already missed his three attempts at 16-feet, 9-inches meaning Harrison was finally a UIL state champion.
After three years of qualifying for the UIL State Meet, and continuing a streak going back to 2021 of a Harrison brother qualifying for state, the family was bringing home gold for the first time.
“Coming off state where I came in last year and no-heighted, that was a low for me,” Harrison said. “This year I came in with a mindset to go out with a bang. Break every record you could. Go win that state medal at the end of the year and that is exactly what I did. I felt like I ended it off really well.”
Harrison, bound for Texas State to compete as a decathlete, won the Class 5A boys pole vault at 16-6 two years after making a surprising debut with a silver in Austin and 12 months after not clearing a single height in the event, despite going in as one of the favorites.
In addition to the gold in Austin, he also set a new school record at Gregory-Portland (16-7) this season, arguably the most tradition-rich program in the event in the Coastal Bend.
Harrison had started using new poles before the UIL state track meet last year, and wasn’t consistent yet, which led to not clearing his opening height.
This year, he focused on his routine and his consistency, on those same poles, which led to standing atop the podium.
Harrison was the lone competitor to clear every height on his first attempt until he and Holt were the last two standing.
“I just focused on staying calm through the whole competition, stuck to my routine — consistency wins meets,” Harrison said.
“I went into the season and told myself ‘I am going to jump high, but most of all I am going to be consistent.’ I know that matters in the later meets. When I get to regionals and jump 16-6, I knew I had a chance at state.”
Hunter Harrison won a bronze medal in discus in 2021 before heading to Texas A&M and Colton Harrison qualified for state twice in pole vault, finishing fourth each time before going to the University of Houston.
Ryder Harrison flashed a smile when asked if he had already reached out to his brothers to tell them he finally snared a UIL State Championship for the school and family.
“This means everything to me, to my coach and especially my dad,” Ryder Harrison said. “We’ve worked toward this goal, all three of us together. We’ve wanted a state championship and to finally bring it home to G-P is a great feeling.”
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Gregory-Portland’s Ryder Harrison claims elusive gold medal in pole vault
Reporting by Quinton Martinez, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
