With a swift sprint, the crunch of spikes against a runway and a leap for regionals, senior Andrew Barragan propels himself skyward, chasing heights he once imagined impossible. As he attempts to defy gravity, it is hard to believe that less than a year ago, senior Barragan had never considered pole vaulting as a strength in his athletic journey.
It all began with a nudge from a trusted track and field teammate, senior Lesday Viera. Noticing Barragan’s raw athleticism of agility and strength, he immediately thought he would excel in an event like pole vaulting. Through bonding, senior Viera convinced Barragan to try the sport and soar.
As defined best by the World Athletics, pole vaulting is a track and field event where an athlete uses a pole to jump over a 4.5-meter bar. For an inexperienced Barragan, his expectations were low, turning an eye away toward the interest of running, jumping and landing on the mattress in less than a minute. Yet, joining the 2024 track and field season proved otherwise; he went in with a strong first-season winning record. In pursuit of new, added success, Barragan joined Pole Vault Miami, an independent club outside of school hours.
“After the track season at Gables, I gained the confidence to continue pole vaulting after seeing great results for my first time trying to pole vault. I believed that I could continue and that if I kept working hard, I can do even better this upcoming season. I joined Pole Vault Miami to improve my skills and even though I was nervous, I got used to the coaches, and I loved this sport even more,” senior Barragan said.
With a daily routine encompassing running for three miles, hitting weights and the bench press, he managed to break his record of 8 feet, 6 inches. Moreover, under the guidance of Barragan’s PVM coaches, David Chandler and Anthony Amodio, he has refined his technique in pole gripping and pushed his limits. Chandler, a veteran coach with over 15 years of experience at various levels, emphasized the importance of consistency and strength. Amodio, a two-time Florida State Champion and former University of Florida pole vaulter, brought unparalleled expertise and passion to Barragan’s training. Combined, he is excited to see his results pay off for the upcoming 2025 track season.
“When I hit my personal record, I was honestly shocked. I didn’t expect to jump so high, and it made me so happy. Once I got back to the stands, I went to my coaches and thanked them, because I would have never expected this. This also made me very excited for the track season at Gables, because it gave me motivation to do even better,” senior Barragan said.
Through rigorous training sessions, Barragan has picked up several skills to enhance his performance. Exercises like Russian twists and crunches have improved his stability, while lower-body workouts like squats and box jumps have enhanced his flexibility. His upper-body strength, crucial for controlling the pole mid-air, has been developed through pull-ups and chest presses.
“With the help of my coaches, I learned the most effective form of pole vaulting. They have explained that is better to jump from the ground and then once you’re elevated you have to flip your whole body and then push yourself off of the pole,” senior Barragan said.
Finding love in a sport he would have never expected, senior Barragan is hoping to perform better than his previous season by qualifying for the Florida High School Athletic Association state competition in pole vaulting. As the bar continues to rise—literally and figuratively—senior Barragan is trying to prove to everyone that with determination and the right support, the sky is truly the limit.
“It’s not often to get new members to track that want to join pole vaulting. Andrew surprised me when he started showing quick improvements in such a hard sport. I am proud of him, and I have high expectations for him this season,” coach Chapman said.
