Cooper Thomas

Cooper Thomas is an exception.

When he attended track practice in the spring of 2023 and witnessed some pole vaulters going over a bungee, Cooper knew he wanted to excel at the sport, but he had never picked up a pole.

Cooper cleared 7’6” at his first meet. He sought coaching at Pole Vault Carolina and improved a whopping five and a half feet to jump 13’ at regionals. Cooper placed 11th at the 4A NCSHAA Outdoor State Championships. By the end of summer track, Cooper improved his personal best again to 13’10”. This is not a normal trajectory for a new vaulter, but Cooper spent 10 years of his life as a gymnast and he also competes in swimming and springboard diving. In anticipation of a military career, Cooper runs every day. In pole vault, he simply knows where his body is in the air.

Outside of sports, Cooper is involved in the Boy Scouts of America, the National Honor Society, and he contributes regularly to the betterment of his community. Cooper received the Most Improved Athlete Award for Cleveland High School’s spring track team.

“Cooper is respectful, coachable, committed, and has great athleticism. He believed we could help him, and that belief helped him improve quickly. Cooper is mentally strong. It is hard to quantify what Cooper can accomplish because he is only beginning.” says Coach Jose.

If Cooper had the opportunity to learn from an elite vaulter, it would be Mondo Duplantis. Cooper has been told that he swings like the world champ.

Cooper’s favorite pole vault memory was the 4A regional meet at Willow Springs High School. It was the first time he competed on a 14’ pole and he cleared 13’ for a new personal best!