When Bryan County’s boys’ track team participates in the sectional meet Saturday at East Laurens High School, one of its more versatile athletes will be looking to not only qualify for the state meet but also to make school history.
Junior Jayden Lee, a 5-foot-7, 131-pound package of deceiving strength and athleticism, will be out to set a new school record in the pole vault and barring any adverse weather or wind conditions he’s confident he can eventually do it.
After easily winning last week’s Region 3A-DI meet with a vault of 10-0 feet in only his second year as a pole vaulter, Lee believes he has a good shot at clearing the record height of 10-6 feet at either the sectional meet or the state meet May 9-11 at Rome.
Lee’s top priority, of course, is qualifying for the state finals. In order to do so he must finish in the top eight at East Laurens, something he achieved last year. Approximately 20 teams from Regions 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be participating. Lee’s region performing win ranks second only to Heard County’s Rashaud Burden who vaulted 12-6 in the Region 1 meet.
As a four-sport letterman this school year Lee, who established himself as one of Coach Zach Ledbetter’s top wrestlers by qualifying for the state meet as a sophomore, plays wide receiver and cornerback in football and was a starter in soccer.
Lee was a sprinter in track until Coach Brysen Collier talked him into taking up pole vaulting last year.
“I thought he could be a pole vaulter,” said Collier, who is an assistant coach in football and wrestling and is familiar with Lee. “He’s a good athlete and he has good upper body strength.”
Lee did not make his pole-vaulting debut until last year’s region meet and he did it in a big way. He won the event with a vault of 9-0. He followed that up by taking second at the sectional meet and finished ninth in the state meet when he cleared 9-6.
The repeat region win this year has only added to his desire to get better.
“My goal is to break the school record and I thought I had done it but my elbow caught the bar,” Lee said following the region meet. “Today was a personal best. I reached 10 last year but not on record.
“Coach Collier---I call him Tarzan---wanted me to try it because of how light I am,” Lee said. “He figured I could bring my body completely straight up with the pole and go over. He thought I could be pretty good at it.”
Lee said there’s no secret to being successful: like everything else it’s a matter of hard work and as a vaulter having no fear.
“It’s just hard work and having strong abs,” Lee said. “You’ve got to have strong abs to help you carry the pole and then pull yourself straight up. If you can’t do that you can’t get over the bar. If you’re willing to work you can get pretty good at it.
“A lot of people won’t vault because they’re afraid of the height,” Lee said. “You’re going up high and you can’t think about that. Coach Collier has taught me technique. He’s so positive about everything and he’s helped my confidence so much. I owe a lot to him.”