Hunter Garretson competed for Newcomerstown in high school before representing the University of Akron in the NCAA.
From having a breakthrough season during his senior year of high school, Hunter Garretson has been setting the bar higher and higher with each coming competition since graduating from Newcomerstown (2020) and setting himself as one of the top pole vaulters in the NCAA last year with his sky high 18' 8.75' clearance to take third at the 2023 95th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays to put himself near the top of the college rankings on his season opener. Fast forward to the championship season leading up to his runner-up finish at NCAAs, he won the Mid-American Outdoor Track & Field Championships off of just one jump at 17' 5.5," followed by a 7th place finish at the NCAA East Preliminary Round.
See below for the mini Q&A we had with Garretson
How did it feel? From lead up to the NCAA Championships, being seeded 5th overall going in, and then going out as the second-place finisher amongst the best in the country?
I felt good as I preformed at the height I was expected to jump.
If you go back in time and change one thing, what could it have been? Can be anything ranging from high school or the start of the NCAA up until now.
I feel that I wouldn't change anything.
When you vaulted a personal best of 5.71m at Texas Relays earlier this season, what was that feeling like knowing that you were likely ranked really high in the NCAA performance lists?
I felt accomplished as my technical and physical training lined up to a great day of jumping.
What are your biggest takeaways and/or challenges of the NCAA scene, both this season and in general, on and off the runway?
My biggest take away is never count yourself out until you are out. When at a third attempt, I don't have the best mental attitude, but my performance at nationals show that anything can happen even after third attempts.
What do you hope to achieve at the end of your collegiate career?
I hope to break out into the pro scene and continue pole vaulting as a professional.
What advice would you give an aspiring vaulter hoping to compete in college one day?
I would give the advice of my takeaway of this season, don't count yourself out. Whether you are picking up pole vaulting late in high school or coming off a hard season, never count yourself out.
If there was something that you could tell your younger self from high school, what would you tell him?
