Ben Haywood Takes The Boys Pole Vault With 16-8.75 Clearance

The boys' elite pole vault at the Texas High School Indoor Championships reflected just how advanced the event has become in the Lone Star State, with most of the field arriving in College Station already sharpened by months of competition. Many of the top entrants had been active since October, gaining valuable meet reps at venues such as the MAC Vault Winter Invitational, Texas Express, the Chapman Family Pole Vault Expo, Bob Crites meets, and sessions at Austin Pole Vault & Throws, and that experience showed in the overall quality of the competition.

In the end, it was Ben Haywood who emerged on top, capturing the title with a season-best clearance of 16-8¾ (5.10m). Haywood entered the competition at 16-2¾, clearing it cleanly on his first attempt, and followed that up with another first-jump clearance at 16-8¾, immediately putting pressure on the rest of the field.

Haywood, the UIL 6A state bronze medalist, then raised the bar to 17-2¾, where the margin for error narrowed. Despite his strong form early, he was unable to sync his technique and rhythm on the higher attempts, missing all three jumps at the height. Still, his efficiency at the lower bars proved decisive.

Max Garvin, the UIL 2A state champion, pushed Haywood throughout the competition. Garvin cleared 15-9 and 16-2¾ on his opening attempts, showcasing the confidence that carried him to a massive 17-8¼ outdoor PR, but he couldn't quite put the pieces together at 16-8¾, settling for second. Rounding out the podium was Eric Rose, another proven 17-foot vaulter, who also cleared 16-2¾ but was turned away at the winning height after three close attempts.

Behind the top three, the depth of Texas vaulting was on full display. Grayson Richardson and Trent Carlisle both cleared 15-9, while Evan Jitjaeng and Ryder Harrison made it over 15-3, reinforcing the competitive nature of the elite field.

With multiple vaulters capable of clearing 17 feet outdoors and several already approaching that standard indoors, the boys elite pole vault once again proved to be one of the marquee technical events of the Texas High School Indoor Championships-and an early-season indicator that even bigger bars may fall as the indoor season progresses.

Boys Elite Pole Vault - Texas High School Indoor Championships