Phoenix Country Day senior Sam Novak credits his coaching team, including Matt and Greg Hull, for his rapid rise in pole vault. (Photo courtesy of Sam Novak Instagram)
PHOENIX – At most meets, Sam Novak could be found laughing with teammates and taking in the atmosphere. But not this time. This time, it was just Novak, his coach and the bar.
Focused and locked in, the Phoenix Country Day School senior set out to clear every height with as few jumps as possible – a simple plan that would carry him into state history on April 15.
Novak cleared 16 feet, 2 inches and 16 feet, 8 inches on his first attempts. He cleared 17 feet, 2 inches on his second jump and everything was firing on all cylinders. Only one challenge remained: 17 feet, 8 inches.
After missing his first two attempts, Novak tapped into his built-up energy. On his final attempt, he sailed over the bar – and into the record books as Arizona’s new state pole vault champion.
“I was falling and the bar was bouncing a little bit, and I was kinda just looking at the pegs on both sides being like, ‘Oh my goodness is this going to stay,’ and I just looked back up while I was in the pit and they’re there,” Novak said. “It was just an incredible experience and all the emotions were just going wild.”
Novak’s parents encouraged him to try a variety of sports growing up – soccer, golf and trapeze – and he excelled despite limited experience. But it wasn’t until his freshman year, during a biology class, that pole vaulting first grabbed his attention. His teacher, Camilo Tafur, picked up on Novak’s interests and pointed him toward the sport.
At Phoenix Country Day School, Sam Novak leaves behind a record-breaking legacy with his historic pole vault performance. (Photo by Jimmy Van Wickler/Cronkite News)
From that moment, his parents’ influence faded into the background.
“I think that Sam excels at it because it is his,” said Heather Novak, Sam’s mother. “We, as his parents, had nothing to do with it – and he liked it that way.”
Novak struggled to pick up the sport on the fly, but his love for the air and experience at trampoline parks and trapeze helped him overcome the learning curves. He caught on eventually by the time he reached his sophomore year.
Coach Matthew Hull watched Novak jump 13 feet – the result of him dedicating hours to improving his craft.
“It really clicked right then that all of a sudden he was going to put the work in (during) the offseason that he needed to get to the next level,” Hull said. “I can vividly remember this moment standing there … and being like, ‘He is going to be good.”
Novak has had some of the best guidance possible while working with Hull and Hull’s father, Greg Hull. A legendary figure in the sport, Greg coaches for USA Track and Field’s Olympic Development Program in pole vaulting. Through him, Novak connected with Olympic gold medalist Nick Hysong, who he now trains with during the offseason.
“I’m fortunate to have an amazing coaching staff behind me,” Novak said. “I’ve definitely had to learn over the years to kind of piece together different aspects from different coaches into one coherent jump.”
Novak plans to continue his pole vaulting career after high school at the University of California, Berkeley, where he can prioritize his education while competing at the Division I level.
His next chapter will take him far from home, but Phoenix Country Day School will always be where the journey started. Now, after nearly a lifetime at Phoenix Country Day, Novak leaves behind a legacy – and a new bar set higher for those who follow.
“I’m so grateful that Sam has been a lifer (at Phoenix Country Day School),” Heather said. “It has come full circle, and I’m so grateful for the journey he has created with so much incredible help on the way.”