By Richard Tew/Correspondent for The Post Newspaper
Like many her age, Clear Falls High School freshman Addison Chumley tried a number of activities before discovering one which piqued her interest.
After playing soccer, volleyball and gymnastics, she joined the cross country team. An ankle injury sidelined her for a short time but it wasn’t long before she was ready to try to find her fit in high school athletics once again. Her fit has quickly become pole vaulting.
“I was looking at track again then I heard people talking about pole vaulting, that it was fun,” said Chumley.
During the summer of 2022, after investing in a pair of spiked shoes and related gear, Chumley started lessons at the Bay Area Pole Vaulting Academy located in neighboring Dickinson.
The practices are tough, requiring two hours each day, two times each week.
Chumley, in her first year on the Knights varsity pole vaulting team, started competing during this year’s spring season. She quickly found her stride in the sport. But as with any new sport, there are ups and downs.
Clear Falls Pole Vaulting Coach Marcus Mata said early in the season, he felt complacency was starting to set in. He says to help her get back on track, he had Chumley temporarily drop down from varsity to the junior varsity before earning her way back on the varsity team.
“I think that was kind of what she needed to light a spark,” said Mata. “Ever since then she’s been exceeding expectations.”
“I could tell she (Chumley) was going to be pretty good because when she came in she was already fast. When we see that, we know they are going to be something special for us,” said Porter.
Coach Glenn Colivas, owner of Bay Area Pole Vaulting, an accomplished, former Olympic level pole vaulter himself, said some of the main elements they focus on are “the run and the plant.”
Colivas says mastering those basics is key to any pole vaulter’s success. He says Chumley’s steady improvement has helped her become successful this season.
“As the year went on, her confidence kept growing; her mechanics got better,” said Colivas.
Chumley says during the back-half of the season, she could see her numbers climbing and results improving.
“Once I got to 8’6″ I thought I might be able to get 9′ but I didn’t know if I would be able to get it by the end of the year,” said Chumley. “Once I got 9′ at a practice, it’s like ‘oh, I’ve got to get this at a meet, but I don’t know if I could get 9’6.'”
For her efforts, Chumley tied the school record of 9′ at the area wide meet, then logged a jump of 9′ 6 ” a week later on April 28 at the UIL 5A and 6A Region event held at Turner Stadium in Humble. Mata says this broke the previous school record of 9′ set in 2014.
Though the jump didn’t advance her to the next round of competition, it did bookend a successful first year for both Chumley and for the Knights’ pole vaulting program.
“I think it was good for her to get a taste of what’s around the area, what’s around the region,” said Mata.
Mata says qualifying from the district competitions to the area wide meet, then on to the regional meet was an accomplishment for any member of the team; especially for a freshman.
Photo cutline: Clear Falls freshman Addison Chumley recently pole vaulted 9’6″ at the regional meet held April 28 at Turner Stadium in Humble. This broke Clear Falls’ previous record of 9′ set back in 2014. Photo by Richard Tew/The Post Newspaper.
When he’s not writing feature stories for The Post Newspaper, Richard Tew teaches Irish dance for all ages in Clear Lake. Learn more at www.tewirishdance.wordpress.com.
