Coach Kevin Hall has just about had his athletes do it all. State champions - check, national record setter - check, and now he can add National Champion to the list of accomplishments his pupils have brought to the Woodsboro, Texas gym.
One of Coach Hall's current athletes, Anthony Meacham has excelled during the COVID-19 world of athletics. He and his club mates at Vault Barn have continued to workout, practice, and compete throughout the pole vault circuits state wide and nationally.
Last night at the Vaulter Club HS Nationals in Southern California, Meacham took on the best high school vaulters the US has to offer and came away with the win earning the National Champion title to go along with it.
The Woodsboro rising junior came in at 15-9 clearing the height on his first attempt. He matriculated through the competition with no misses at neither 16-2 nor 16-6. Meacham felt so good he skipped 16-10.
Moving to the elite 17 foot barrier, Meacham felt at home. He has been clearing 17 feet at competitions for the past three months. His 17-3 PR is indicative to the type of summer he has been having. Earlier in the summer, he became the third best high school sophomore vaulter All-Time behind Armand Duplantis (LA-2016) and Jacob Davis (TX-1994).
Eventually topping out at 17-2.75 for the win, Meacham continued to push the bar. He skipped all the way to 17-7 and had some good attempts, "his best attempt of the day was at 17-7," Coach Hall said.
Before this trip to California, Meacham had only been outside of Texas once in his life and that was for an indoor track meet at the University of Arkansas. The small town boy has gone from a tiny town to state champ as a freshman; and now despite COVID-19 effects he still continues to rise beyond state borders and today is a national champion
