Sophomore pole vaulter soars through school record

Pole vaulter Jesse McMillan, a sophomore business administration major, has already broken school records twice in his first official season. JAKE NEEDHAM, Staff Photographer

Sophomore business administration major Jesse McMillan is only in his first official season on the track and field team and has already broken the school record twice.  

The March 19th Ross and Sharon Irwin Invite saw McMillan reach new heights for Chapman’s pole vaulting squad, and this newfound skill and confidence has led the second-year star to set new goals to break his own record. 

“Going into (the meet), I was talking to the coach from last year who was at the meet, and I was just like, ‘Today’s the day,’ because I was ready to jump 15 feet,” McMillan said.  

At the time, the jump put him 5th in men’s pole vaulting in NCAA Division III. McMillan feels the jump from his previous personal record to his now 4.71 meters (15-feet, 5.5-inches) height is long overdue. 

“In high school, I always wanted to reach 15 and a half feet, but our season ended due to (COVID-19) so I never really got to try. (The new personal record) feels good now,” McMillan said.

McMillan soars through the air at the Titus & Ely meet in Irvine, California. Photo courtesy of Samuel Thompson

Not only did he make progress from opportunities at track and field meets, but he also had the influence of a supportive team and coaches, leading McMillan to break his own record and the school’s.

Tyler Elder, a senior business administration major, invested the majority of his last four years as part of the pole vaulting team, which is part of Chapman’s track and field program. Elder said he has watched the pole vaulting team grow throughout his college career, even with the setbacks of the pandemic.

“When I started, I was the only pole vaulter on the team, and to my knowledge, the first one in a while,” Elder said. “We were rebuilding as a team back then.”

A highlight of Elder’s spring season has been being able to support McMillan's record breaking meet. 

“It was a group effort,” Elder said about how he helped his teammate break the record. “Just to watch (McMillan) pole vault; It is such a unique sport. A lot is going on even though it all happens in a quick second.”

Elder goes the extra mile for his teammates and will even film them, so they can see what mechanics they can improve on.  

“I’m really happy for (McMillan), and I am glad I could help,” Elder said. “He’s only a sophomore; he has two more years (to progress), and I can’t wait to come back and see where he goes with this team. The sky’s the limit now.”

Pole vaulting coach Sonny Duong has been coaching for over 15 years, with this season being his first at Chapman. Duong agrees that even greater heights can be reached by McMillan.

“I honestly believe that Jesse can jump over 17 feet this season if this goes according to plan, but first we need to get to 16 feet,” Duong said. “Like Jesse says, ‘It's over, baby’ when that happens.”

When Elder was a freshman, there were only about 35 members on the track and field team, but now the squad has doubled in size, according to the senior member. 

Having no one to look up to when he first joined the team at Chapman, Elder feels that he has played a critical role in the program’s growth and is excited for the new success of the pole vaulting team. 

Elder unfortunately tore his meniscus at the beginning of season and will be out until May, but that has not stopped him from participating in team activities.

“I have been going to every meet, every weekend, trying to help out as much as I can,” Elder said. “ I am just glad I can be there (for my teammates).”

Though the new school record was reset in an instant, the process for McMillan to reach that goal has been about going back to the basics, according to Duong. 

“In the span of three months, (McMillan) was able to process all the technical aspects that were key to breaking the school record,” Duong said. “One key aspect was fixing his runway approach to a more rhythmic run than (an) attacking one. Correcting this was fundamental to getting him to be more confident on longer, stiffer poles.”

McMillan said the best thing he learned this year was when he had the chance to train with Brian Yokoyama, an olympic pole vaulting coach, that highlighted how physical consistency in his vaults will be a key to leading him to success. 

“Whenever you’re on the ground you want to be autonomous with what you are doing. Now I don’t have to think about my run, I just let my body do what I have been training it to do,” McMillan said.

Focusing on getting out of his head, McMillan aims to reach his new goal of 16 feet before the end of the season.