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Vault in mall gives Freeport’s Hollis shot at Olympics
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Mark Hollis
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By Matt Trowbridge
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Jun 16, 2008 @ 12:21 PM
Mark Hollis won two national titles and remained almost invisible.

Then he vaulted in a mall in Iowa and became a YouTube sensation.

Hollis, a 1999 Freeport grad, won two NAIA pole vault titles at tiny Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, but was a virtual unknown until he vaulted April 23 at a mall in West Des Moines in a publicity event for the Drake Relays. The crowd roared for Hollis and Derek Miles, who is ranked fourth in the world. Both cleared 18 feet, 8 3/4 inches, and Hollis, in particular, thrilled the 2,000 fans who jammed into the Jordan Creek Town Center.

Profile: Mark Hollis
Who: Olympic Trials qualifier
Event: Pole vault
College: Olivet Nazarene (in Bourbonnais). Graduated in 2007 with a degree in sports management
Family: Parents John and Donna Hollis of Freeport; older brother, Steve; fiancee Amanda Westcott, a senior education major at Bethel College in Miskawaka, Ind.
High school: 1999 Freeport graduate
Current residence: Elkhart, Ind.
College pole vault honors: Won the NAIA national championship in 2007 and 2006, and was runner-up in 2005.
Olympic Trials ‘B’ qualifying standard: 18 feet, 0 inches.
Olympic Trials ‘A’ qualifying standard: 18-8.
Hollis’ progression:
2005 — 16-8 3/4, NAIA runner-up
2006 — 17-2 3/4, NAIA champ
2007 — 17-5 3/4, NAIA champ
April 12, 2008 — 18-1 at Wheaton College Invitational
April 23, 2008 — 18-8 3/4 at Drake Relays
April 30, 2008 — 18-10 1/4 at University of Illinois
2004 Gold Medal height: 19-6.
Olympic Trials: June 27 to July 6 in Eugene, Ore.
“Everybody likes the underdog,â€

Sweet article!!

That camera wasn't shaking cuz of the crowd though... it was shaking because I was so excited that he was goin to the Trials!! haha!!

Great article on Mark, sums his situation up perfectly. He graduated high school in 2003, not 1999 though.


Awaiting the trials! I cant wait to go and watch!!!

I was jumping at North Central College a few months ago, and there were a lot of scrappers- like myself- jumping in the 14 foot range. We were all summing each other up during warm ups and wondering who was going to win. Then there was a guy way back behind the runway keeping to himself and by the looks of it, he was also going to jump.

I wound up going over there to do some drills and caught a glimpse of his pole series. They were massive poles compared to all our 14-15 footers. At first I thought that it was some cocky over-rated decathlete who had crappy technique and jumped on big sticks. But my buddy was like, "Dude...that's not a decathlete...that's Mark Hollis, the guy who won the Grand Haven beach vault this year."

Shows what I know...because the guy was anything but cocky or over-rated, and he won that competition and went on to clear 5.75m a couple weeks later! Good luck at the trials Hollis!