Photo provided.
New Richmond junior Grant Harrison capped off an unbelievable season by winning the DII State Championship in the pole vault! He is your Clermont Sun Athlete of the Week!
Q: Favorite professional track athlete?
A: K.C Lightfoot.
Q: What does being a state champion mean to you?
A: Becoming a state champion has been a huge goal of mine since I started pole vault so finally achieving that means a lot to me and shows that my work has paid off.
Q: Who would you like to thank for making this achievement possible?
A: None of this would be possible without the overwhelming amount of support that I have received from my community, school, and everyone else I know. I also owe massive thanks to my parents Angie and Robbie, and my coaches, Mark Weitzel, Tobi Lewin, Nick Schmit, Jason Armbruster, and Josh Dangel.
Q: How can your state championship help the future of the program, specifically the future of New Richmond pole vault?
A: My championship will definitely grow track as a whole at my school and definitely bring more people who want to try pole vault. The future is definitely looking good. We have incoming freshmen who have a strong aptitude for the sport and are willing to learn and progress.
Q: Advice for younger track athletes?
A: If you work hard and you’re dedicated, anything is possible. Set your goals high.
Q: What’s the key to being good at pole vault in your eyes?
A: In my eyes, the biggest part of pole vault is having a short memory and being able to move on to the next jump. You will never get anywhere by thinking about the past.
Q: What have you done to improve throughout your track career?
A: My whole track career, the most important thing to me was my confidence. Trusting the process and trusting my coaches has mentally prepared me for every big meet, more.
Q: What makes the New Richmond community so special in your eyes?
A: I think the fact that everyone on the team is so driven to get better and progress as much as they can makes our program very special.