Cox Sets New Record For Pole Vault

Special To The Times

Marianna High School Bulldog Track Coach Allan Gibson announced that Patrick Cox has recently set a new school record in the pole vault. The previous record of ten feet was held by Matthew Amos. Back on March 26th during a track meet in Panama City at Arnold High School Cox tied the record of ten feet. The following week at a meet in Thomasville, Ga. the young freshman set the new school record with a vault of ten feet and six inches.

Gibson had coached Cox back in the fall on the Cross Country team and felt he might do well on the spring track team in the long distance running and pole vaulting. “Patrick is a good athlete and hard worker. I really like the fact that he responds to a challenge as well as anybody I coach,” Gibson commented on Cox. But Cox wasn’t the only one from that cross country team that Gibson felt might take to the sport of pole vaulting. Several of them have indeed done well in the sport. Dalton Hendrix is right on the heels of Cox as he cleared nine feet six inches at the meet in Panama City. Jimmy Lein is right on their heels as well. The group also includes a seventh grader, John Melzer, and he is also showing a lot of promise. Of the current Bulldog pole vaulters only Lein had any prior experience coming into the season. Cox and Hendrix both grabbed a pole for the first time in February after coming out when the wrestling season ended. Both picked up the sport quickly and the entire pole vaulting team has excelled according to Gibson. “All of them have worked really hard. They are a good group of kids that get along really well but at the same time push each other to get better,” Gibson said of the group.

The pole vaulters, along with the rest of the Bulldog track team, are busy gearing up for the upcoming district tournament that is scheduled for April 15th at Bay High School.