He had finished first in the pole vault a few times this year but it wasn’t until Friday at Cessna Stadium that he reached a new height — 13 feet, 6 inches — and tied a THS record.

“Score,” Willis yelled as he left the mat with a new personal record that earned him a fourth-place medal at state.

“That’s what I wanted. I’m pretty psyched about it,” Willis said of the record. “I’ve been fighting all season. The chance to get it at the final meet really means a lot.”

Willis just about set the THS bar even higher on his next attempt, nearly completing a 14-foot vault.

Benton Smith

“I almost double impressed myself and got the 14. Almost — just barely missed it, just an inch,” Willis said. “Next year I should have it easily.”

That is because he plans to keep working on the craft that he initially found undesirable — “At first I never wanted to do pole vaulting,” he said, “and then I ended up having a knack for it.”

As a freshman, Willis qualified for state but, unable to clear the first height, did not place. He just kept practicing, attended a pole vault camp last year and increased his skill set.

“This summer I’m going to a lot more camps and hopefully I can increase my PR (personal record) by another foot and a half like I did this year,” Willis said.

Competing against the best vaulters at state, the Chieftains sophomore said, got him hyped and brought his game to a higher level. He entered state eighth in Class 4A but left as No. 4.

“I was thinking that I had a very small, outside chance of getting sixth,” Willis said of his expectations. “Coming in at fourth place means a lot. I’m proud of myself. I’ve put a lot of effort into it.”