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Catching up with ... Randy Hall
Calhoun High School grad seeing son continue family tradition
March 27, 2006
COY SLAVIK - Advocate Sports Editor
Randy Hall is relieved to see his family's tradition living on.
Contributed Photo by Randy Hall
Randy Hall, left, and son Hunter pose for a photo recently at the Nike Indoor National Championships. Randy was one of the country's top pole vaulters in high and college and it appears Hunter may be following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps.
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The Calhoun High School graduate learned pole vaulting from his father, Charlie, who was an outstanding pole vaulter in his day at Southwest Texas State University.
Randy went on to become one of the premier pole vaulters in the nation. He won four Southwest Conference outdoor titles and three SWC indoor championships while at Texas A&M. In 1980, Hall won the NCAA indoor title by clearing 17 feet, 9.5 inches. A few months later, Hall went 18-2.25 to capture the NCAA outdoor championship.
Hall was a top contender to earn one of the three spots on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team until President Carter forced American athletes to boycott the Games in Moscow.
Hall, who will be 47 next month, now lives in Fort Wayne, Ind., and is vice president of Lincoln National Financial Group. Hall's oldest son, Hunter, is one of the top high school pole vaulters in the country. Hunter, a junior at Fort Wayne Homestead High School, won the Indiana state indoor title this month by clearing 16-6. He recently jumped a career-best 16-8 at the Nike Indoor National Championships.
Hunter has been invited to compete in April's Texas Relays in Austin. His father and grandfather, Charlie, will be proudly watching from the bleachers at Mike A. Myers Stadium.
Following is a recent telephone interview with Randy Hall conducted by Advocate Sports Editor Coy Slavik:
Q: Is pole vaulting simply in your family's genes?
A: We have all definitely learned how to do it well. We've had some great coaching along the way. I had some good coaching from my dad. I'm not a very good coach for my son, though. We've hired one of the best coaches in Indiana to coach my son.
We really have a pole vaulting community up here. There are four pole vaulters I competed against in college who grew up right here in Fort Wayne. One guy has built an indoor pole vaulting barn right beside his house. He's 43 years old and he just set the world record in his age group by going 15-9.
Q: Why weren't you a very good coach for your son?
A: It's a lot of things. I really don't have enough time and I had been out of pole vaulting for 20 years. Plus, they have a totally different technique today. The event is still pretty much the same, but they hold the pole much higher today. It's kind of a different plant and swing than I had. I learned from my dad with the old steel pole.
Q: How did your dad get you started in pole vaulting?
A: Before moving to Port Lavaca, I grew up in Woodsboro. We had lots of cousins and brothers there and we competed against each other all the time in just about everything. I took up pole vaulting as a young kid and I really started to excel in it in junior high.
Q: How old was Hunter when he started pole vaulting?
A: He started in seventh grade, but he was terrible. We tried to get him acclimated to all sorts of sports and he would be digging up doodlebugs in the field. I just kept telling him to play in the band or something. Part of it was probably because of my lack of time to work with him.
But during his sophomore year (last year), he started to excel. He started jumping about 12 feet. Then he went 13 feet and then 15 feet. Three weeks ago, he cleared 16-8 at the Nike Indoor Championships.
Q: Was your wife OK with Hunter taking up pole vaulting?
A: Alicia was a track athlete herself. Hunter probably gets most of his talent from his mother.
Q: Who would win in a head-to-head jumpoff between you in your prime and your son right now?
A: I think Hunter has more ability, but I would have the mental part of it. My biggest strength was I was so competitive. Hunter is still kind of a nice guy.
Q: How excited is Hunter about competing at the Texas Relays, where you competed many times?
A: He is just thrilled for several reasons. He eventually wants to go to college hopefully somewhere in Texas. And for the benefit of me and his grandfather, he's excited about competing and having his grandpa see him.
Q: Did sports help mold you into the businessman you are today?
A: It is a competitive world out there. If I hadn't participated in athletics, I don't think I would be able to excel in a lot of business ventures.
Q: Is your 9-year-old son, Hudson, going to follow in the family footsteps and take up pole vaulting someday?
A: He thinks he wants to play soccer. I asked him if he was ready to start pole vaulting and he said, "Nah, I'll stick with soccer." But we'll get him into it somehow.
Randy and Hunter Hall (IN) article
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