INDIANAPOLIS — Cody Hargett sat by himself in the infield at Ben Davis High School and recited scripture as he waited for his next pole vault flight during the IHSAA boys track and field state finals on Friday.
The Greenfield-Central senior had just cleared 14 feet, 9 inches minutes prior to setting a new school record, which he would achieve three times before his finale, but he needed to center himself while supporters from his church, New Life Christian Fellowship, were in attendance.
“I was just reciting scripture from memory sitting there,” Hargett said. “Just to see them there, I had so much support from all of them, even if I didn’t win. It helped me do my best and forget the rest.”
Hargett, who has plans to become a pastor later in life, was staring at 15 feet, a mark he envisioned toppling five years ago when former Greenfield-Central pole vaulter Emily Jones, the school’s girls record holder at 10-09, first recruited him from the high jump.
“It was 15 feet, and some guys missed, and I recited the first half of Hebrews 12,” Hargett said. “I recited one through 12 from memory because it’s what I’ve been working for the past week and a half. It’s about discipline and endurance for the faith.”
Hargett’s belief, much like the state finals’ competitor number he wore on his back “316,” carried him to new heights, clearing 14-09 to break his own school record of 14-08, which he established earlier this season.
It led to a 15-00 jump on his first try and later a 15-03 on his third attempt that secured him a fifth-place medal at the state meet — the program’s second-best state finals placement in history.
Hargett took to the skies to tie Heritage Hills’ Grant Gogel (15-03) for fifth overall in the event, while Mt. Vernon’s 4×400 relay team also had a school-record performance, finishing fifth in a time of 3:22.65 to end the night.
“Cody had it in him all season. We saw it. His hip height was always there. It was just trying to dial it in, and he did that today,” Greenfield-Central pole vault coach Greg Arnold said. “He was in a groove there for about four jumps, and that’s all it took.”
Hargett became the first state medalist in boys track for Greenfield-Central since Zach Smock placed fifth in the high jump in 1999. The program’s last state champion was Jim Gluys in the discus during the 1982 state meet.
In 2019, Cougars’ pole vaulter Adam Lee placed 10th at state and was 16th in 2018, but Hargett had to wait two years to get his opportunity after no heighting at 12-06 during regional as a sophomore and missing his junior season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With his chance at the state podium within his grasp, Hargett dove his 15-foot pole graded at 175 pounds into the ground and clung on at a 14-06 grip point to secure his spot in history.
“The biggest thing this year was, you have to have fun. Even when you don’t do well, you just got to have fun. You have to stay loose and remember you’re flying in the air like a bird,” Hargett said. “It’s awesome.”
Two years ago, life wasn’t as serene.
Hargett won his first sectional title in 2019 after finishing runner-up as a freshman in 2018 and was a favorite to contend for a regional championship, but he came up short at 12-06.
“Part of that was that I just didn’t lower his grip enough because he could have easily cleared the opening height two years ago,” Arnold said.
“He was looking good at the time, but he just didn’t have the experience he has now, even though, he missed last season because of COVID. But, a lot of the good pole vaulters jump in clubs, so they didn’t really miss a year. They missed a year of competition, but they didn’t miss a year of development.”
Hargett trained in 2020 and in the offseason at Pole Vault Elite, a club run by Collin Gayde in Fortville. The work he put in translated this season with a Hancock County, Hoosier Heritage Conference, sectional and regional championship to his credit.
He entered the state meet with a seed height of 14-06 at fifth, and he upheld the ranking, though he missed his first try at 13-00, but he easily cleared 13-06 and 14-00.
He missed his first flight at 14-06, but bounced back before clipping the crossbar at 15-03 on his first try.
“It was fine-tuning and trying to figure out which pole to be on, where his grip height should be and we just made minor adjustments today rather than bigger adjustments, and it worked out really well,” Arnold said. “He handled it really superbly.”
His support system erupted from the stands and fence lines on his second go-around at 15-03.
“The week after (regional in 2019) happened, it took a lot to want to come back. It took a lot to come back and keep wanting to do this,” Hargett said. “But, I found a private club, and (coach Arnold) has honestly been one of the biggest motivators.
“At practice, we’d always have these jumps that were over 15 (feet) and we’d flirt with 16, so we knew there was something. We just kept chiseling away and literally stayed after practice at Greenfield-Central, probably like, 30 minutes after as everyone was waiting on us. So, it took a lot to get fifth.”
The wait was worth it, even though there was tension.
“Missing 14-06. It was so funny because coach Arnold said, if you get 14-06 on your first attempt, then you’ll probably medal. I said, no, I’ll just do it on the second attempt, and then clear 15 on the first attempt. That has been the number all season. But not only that but to get 15-03, it was a great feeling. I had all my friends and family from my church here. New Life Fellowship has been a rock these past two years.”
Hargett failed to clear 15-06 on his three attempts, but he intends to focus on that mark moving forward in college.
“I was staring at the bar, so I had a lot of height on it, so it just gets me excited about continuing on at Indiana Wesleyan,” Hargett said.
His teammate freshman Kirk Knecht could follow a similar path, reaching the state finals in his first season.
The young up-and-comer, who was named the Hancock County Athlete of the Meet, placed 18th in the long jump at state with a distance of 20-11.25.
Mt. Vernon pole vaulter Keagan La Belle was 17th in the event at state with a 13-06, while fellow Marauder Derrick Marble placed 21st in the 100-meter dash in 11.37 seconds.
The Mt. Vernon 4×800 relay team of Colin Brown, Evan Rappe, Daylon King and Joseph Blagrave finished 23rd in 8 minutes, 19.60 seconds.
Joseph Bowsher was 20th in the 300-meter high hurdles with a time of 40.95, and New Palestine’s Richard Clevenger, who earned a spot at state as a callback, was 14th in the discus throw with a distance of 151-05.
Bowsher missed out on a state medal individually, but he played a key role on the 4×400 relay team that included Wilbert Jones, Andrew Jones and Andres Langston.
The Marauders 4×400 won county, an HHC title, sectional and regional before besting Center Grove (3:22.66) down the stretch to match their seed placement on the podium.
“What a great relay. It’s a new school record by three seconds, and that’s so hard to do at the state meet,” Mt. Vernon head coach Bruce Kendall said. “That was the best of our day.”
