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With his eyes on state gold, Thorndale’s Herzog vaults to first place at Texas Relays

Thorndale’s Jack Herzog sets his pole during at attempt in the high school boys pole vault event at the Clyde LIttlefield Texas Relays on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. (Michael Adams/Austin Sports Journal)

By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal

Thorndale’s Jack Herzog has his eyes set on state gold at the UIL state track meet, which is six weeks away.

On Friday at the Texas Relays, and on the same pit he placed fifth in last year’s state meet, Herzog put the rest of the pole vaulters in Class 2A on notice.

The senior won the high school boys pole vault section B flight, clearing a height of 15 feet, 9 inches on a windy afternoon and beating some of the best pole vaulters in 5A and 6A.

However, Herzog said the there’s not much competitive difference among the classes.

“There were a few other 2A guys here competing, honestly, the competition doesn’t differ too much,” he said. “They’re all good guys, all coming up on senior year so they’re going to be good. I do like competition against these guys because leading up to regional and state, you don’t get the competition you do here.”

Herzog scratched on his first vault of the day at 14-3.25 but cleared his second attempt at that height. He then went on to clear heights of 14-9, 15-3 and 15-9 on the first attempt.

All five of the remaining vaulters missed all three attempts when the bar was raised to 16-0.75 inches, which included Rouse’s Caden O’Hara and Ethan Saenz of Buda Johnson.

“It’s awesome to have been here the past two years,” Herzog said. “It really does help come the state meet when you’re familiar with the conditions and the track.”

Thorndale’s Jack Herzog clears the bar during an attempt in the high school boys pole vault event at the Clyde LIttlefield Texas Relays on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. (Michael Adams/Austin Sports Journal)

Friday’s height of 15-9 moves Herzog into the top height among Class 2A pole vaulters, according to MileSplit. His height passed former 2A leader Dalton Beckham of Timpson, who cleared 15-0 at the West Rusk Raider Relays on March 7.

There’s still a long road back to Mike A. Myers Stadium.

The District 27-2A championships are Wednesday at Holland. The area meet is slated for April 11, while regionals are April 19-20.

Herzog hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps and win a gold medal at the state meet. His older brother Michael Herzog was a two-time state champion in the triple jump.

“I’ve always looked up to my brother,” he said. “Winning wouldn’t matter as much to me, but being like him would mean a lot.”

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