Bloom-Carroll's Dominic Knapp earns his gold medal in the pole vault

COLUMBUS — A year ago, Dominic Knapp couldn’t escape the district track meet. Now the Bloom-Carroll junior is the OHSAA Division III boys pole vault state champion.

It was a long journey made in a short time for Knapp.

“This is my first time to make it to regionals or state,” he said with a smile after claiming his championship inside Ohio State’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium Friday, June 5. “It’s insane. If you would have told me last year, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s awesome to see how much I’ve grown with my father and my coaches and Austin (Hicks) at Buckeye Pole Vaulting Academy. It’s been awesome.”

Knapp ended up going 15 feet, 10 inches as it came down to him and Perry’s Traxton Richards. Knapp got the mark on his second attempt, and Richards couldn’t get there.

“It’s kind of a blur. Getting here has been awesome,” he said.

Knapp was a good vaulter as a sophomore, going 14 feet as his personal record, but over the course of the last year, he’s emerged as an elite one, doing extra training at Buckeye in Sunbury along with many of his competitors Friday evening.

He won the D-III district at Hilliard Darby in 14 feet, winning a jump-off with Highland’s Jett Black. He also took the Muskingum regional with a vault of 15 feet.

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“I try not to think too highly because winds can change and there are a lot of variables in pole vaulting,” he said. “I would say you never want to come in with a super winning mentality or too overconfident. I come in knowing I’ve been super consistent at the heights. I knew I had what it takes to get the job done a little better than normal.”

Of all the vaulters, he was the most consistent Friday. He only missed two vaults all-day until trying to go over 16-1.

“In those big meets at district and regionals, it’s survive and advance, but state, that’s where you care about the attempts,” Knapp said. “They mean more, so being super consistent at those heights over 14-6 and 15 feet and getting that first attempt is important.”

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This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: From district disappointment to state champion, B-C vaulter emerges