Sometimes you can see an athletic achievement and know what you’re witnessing is brilliance.
That happened last Saturday when Hanford High sophomore Jonathan Allen won the Class 4A boys’ pole vault title at the WIAA state track and field championships at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.
Allen cleared 17 feet, 6 inches, to not only win the Class 4A state title, but he became the best in the state of Washington to ever go that high.
Just how high is 17 feet, 6 inches?
AI tells us that that’s the height of an adult giraffe, or two stacked African elephants. Or as tall as a two-story building.
Last year, as a freshman, Allen cleared 15 feet, 6 inches at state. That’s the height clearance of this year’s second place finisher, Kayden Andre-Van Lith of Eastmont.
Now think about that. That’s an improvement of 2 feet in a year’s time.
“What Jonathan did at state was not only historic, especially for a sophomore, but it is what can happen when someone commits to a dream and does all of the right things to make it happen,” said Hanford High head track and field coach Darren Crow. “The way he is progressing, I would not be shocked if he hit 18 feet by the end of summer.”
What does it take to be a pole vaulter?
I mean, you run with a pole in your hand at full speed, put the end of the pole into a box, then go upwards while upside down, before trying to clear a bar. If you get that far, you then free fall into a pit and hope you land safely.
“Personally, one thing that it takes to be a pole vaulter is to have no fear!” said Crow. “And then to hone your craft to be technically sound, so not only clear the height, but to also make sure that you don’t get hurt.”
Allen, 15, comes from a family of pole vaulters. Father Mark is a Montana State grad who is also a certified pole-vaulting coach.
Allen’s older sisters are pole vaulters — including Landry Allen, who graduated high school in 2025 and has just completed her freshman season pole vaulting for the University of Illinois women’s track and field team.
Jonathan now ranks tied for 7th among all high schoolers in the nation. The national leader is Jaxon Jerabek of IMG Elite (Florida), who cleared 18 feet, 2.75 inches at the Under Armour Track and Field Nationals on May 30 — the same day Allen hit his 17-6.
This wasn’t the first time Jonathan Allen has cleared 17 feet. On May 1st, at the Hermiston Kiwanis Twilight meet, he cleared 17 feet, 0.5 inches.
So what’s next for him? How about a summer that includes some national competition?
He’ll compete in the USA Under-20 Nationals in Eugene on June 18-19.
He’s also eligible to compete in the USATF Nationals, set for New York, July 23-26.
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