Story by MAYAN PAZ Photos by MAX BOWYER
Tiger Media Network
Fort Hays State University has always been known for its quality pole vaulting program, which attracts many high school graduates from across the region and produces top performers year by year. This past few years saw the program reach its peak, having produced at least one All-American athlete every year since 2018, with 18 overall All-American performances in that period of time and two national championship wins for FHSU graduate Ryan Stanley (2021, outdoor, 2022, indoor).
Through all its success, the pole vault program has had one constant for the past 46 years. Randy Stanley has been involved with the pole vault program at FHSU since 1978 and was a vaulter for the team himself. Stanley graduated from Fort Hays with a master’s degree in exercise science and sports administration. After graduating, Stanley coached track in Victoria’s high school in Kansas but, after only a few years, returned to coach pole vault at a collegiate level in Fort Hays.
Excited as ever, Stanley brought the team to outstanding success in the last few years, and with the recent achievements of Ryan Stanley, Jacob Clark, and Annabeth Baalmann, the pole vaulter’s squad is larger than ever, with a total of six newcomers.
“Success is contagious,” Stanley said. “The better we are, the more young athletes want to come and compete here. With our accomplishments in the last years and the success of the summer pole vaulting camps we are hosting here, we are able to attract interest every year.”
In addition to his work with the Tigers, Stanley hosts a yearly summer camp for middle and high school students who want to learn from the experience of the veteran coach. The camp is often run by Stanley with the assistance of current athletes on the team, who help him coach and spot the best talents in the state.
“We are not a division one school,” Stanley said. “So it’s hard to compete for the top talents that often go to bigger schools. But we always try to bring good talents to our program and constantly work to be the best pole vault program in division two.”
As the team is bigger than ever, Stanley says he is excited and happy to have the veterans on the team to inspire and assist the youngster’s development. Vaulters like Clark, a senior from the United Kingdom and five-time All-American, and Baalmann, a junior and indoor All-American from last season, are perfect role models for the rest of the team.
“The newcomers have affected the team positively,” Baalmann said.
Clark echoes her thoughts regarding the newcomers.
“They are very enthusiastic about the training and are helping the older athletes to push themselves as well,” he said.
While pole vaulting is an ancient sport for mend dating back to the Greek Olympics, women’s pole vaulting was introduced only recently, making its first appearance in the 2000 Olympic Games. Baalmann is the first female All-American for the Tigers, and this year, the women’s squad includes four female vaulters who will try to reach similar success.
“There isn’t a significant difference between coaching men and women,” Stanley said. “Yes, the physicality is a little different, but overall it is very similar. Annabeth is a great role model for the young women who joined the team, and Jacob is for the men.”
After Baalmann and Clark recorded three All-American placements last season, both of them are aiming to reach new heights and outperform themselves this upcoming season. While Stanley is reluctant to specify any specific goals for his athletes and aims for general success, the athletes are concerned about their ability to top their personal records and go beyond what they have done in the past.
“My goal is to jump at least 4.20 meters this year and to finish as an All-American both for indoor and outdoor,” Baalmann said. Her current personal best is 3.98 meters.
Clark, who holds a personal best of 5.27 meters, is also aiming for greater success.
“I want to jump at least 5.50 meters this year and, of course, be an All-American again,” he said.
This upcoming season is highly anticipated for the Tiger vaulters, and with indoor season around the corner in December, the athletes are working harder than ever to continue the pole vault traditional success at Fort Hays.
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