SJCC's Ethan Grahl just wants to get up in the air
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If you compete in the 100-meter race, you might as well add the pole vault.
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That wasn't exactly the thought process for St. Joseph Central Catholic senior Ethan Grahl, but he's found it to be the truth.
"The best thing to compare the two is the speed that comes with both," Grahl said. "In the 100, you have to be powerful at the start, and when you're at top speed, technique keeps you going. The pole vault is no different.
"It's power; you reach top speed, the pole drops and speed mechanics carry you into the pole and into the air. You're not running with a pole in both, but you start hard and stay tall until you plant the pole in the box or cross the finish line."
Grahl won the pole vault at 14 feet at the Division V district meet at Gibsonburg. He finished fourth in the 100 in 11.62 seconds to move on in a second event.
That doesn't mean Grahl never flew through a stormy sky. Pole vaulting can be frightening, even after you've been doing it for a long time.
Have you ever trusted a pole to suspend you 14 feet above the ground? Of course you haven't; that's not something most humans do.
"Instead of fear and overthinking, go on the runway and believe," he said. "You've done it hundreds of times. The mind is a powerful thing. It can hold (you) back or push (you) forward. Whatever sport, or extracurricular activity, you'll have to do things you don't want to do or don't even think you can do.
"It's OK to be scared and doubt yourself, but if you can get through it, you'll be just fine."
Still, it's easier said than done. Grahl was right where he wanted to be mentally as he qualified for the indoor state track meet.
He felt so good, in fact, he didn't care that he finished second to last.
"The only thing that mattered was the experience," he said. "The journey. From a young age, I learned quickly don't focus on the destination, focus on the journey. You'll face rough seas, but the storm will end, and you want to make sure you're ready.
"I was ready go go for the indoor meet."
He struggled mightily in his head in the preseason, however, until the first outdoor meet arrived.
"I felt the adrenaline, and my mind went back to indoor state," he said. "'I can do it again.'"
Part of Grahl's confidence stems from his relationship with SJCC graduate Sam Paeth, who continued his career at Grand Valley State. Grahl was intrigued by the pole vault when he saw the setup, including a pit and collection of poles in the Paeths' back yard.
"I wanted to try something new," he said. "It was so easy to access; I found time to pick it up, and I enjoyed it. I was going into the seventh grade. I wanted to do something nobody (else) was going to do. It's intimidating. You put faith in a pole to send you in the air.
"I took it as a challenge."
He rapidly rose to the top in the eighth grade.
"Starting out, I was just trying to put myself out there and having fun," he said. "When I won the conference meet, it flipped a switch. 'OK, this is new, but I'm getting the hang of it.' Going into high school with the newfound confidence, I had that mentality on the runway, and it never changed."
Grahl, who is coached in the pole vault by Paeth's father, Mike Paeth, can still look to Sam for any adjustments.
"I've had many good mentors," Grahl said. "When it comes to the pole vault, Sam was a big one. He was a year ahead of me, so anything I went through he had an idea what to fix. He's still a good mentor to this day. He sends videos of practices and meets.
"I'll send him videos, and he'll help me find the next thing to work on. When I see what he does and how he approaches it, I can learn. He looks at the bar and believes he'll clear it."
When things are going well in the pole vault, there's nothing to be afraid of. When it's going poorly, suddenly the risk becomes a factor again because you stop letting it all hang out. Fear often has a paralyzing effect, especially when you're high above the ground and you know you're not doing part of the process the way you should.
Many things can intensify fear because they can impact the repetition of technique to make you plummet, including pain, frustration and distractions. Grahl overcame such a challenge when he suffered an injury. It's been his highlight for the season.
"Coming back from a pretty bad ankle injury and coming back to win conference the next meet, jumping 14 feet," he said. "It was pretty well timed, a Friday meet. I took that weekend, missed two practices and got back into it the day before the meet.
"I got pretty lucky there. It's still been a bother, but I've been able to push through and do what I love."
He knows it's not fortune, but mind power. He achieved career bests in the pole vault and 100.
"It feels good to know the work I put in the previous years and the sacrifices I made are paying off and leading where I want to go," he said. "The standard goal is to survive and make it to outdoor state. But the ultimate goal is to get on the runway at regional, have fun, get on the podium and go to state."
He didn't advance past regional as a junior.
"If I was going to do it again next year and do better, I'd have to step up my training, my mentality and how I approach the runway," he said. "Going into regional, I'm ready. Just get up in the air, see where it takes me and go from there."
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This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Ethan Grahl advances to regional in pole vault for SJCC OHSAA track