Athlete of the year: Trevor Knowles wasn’t feeling very optimistic about his chances of doing well at the NJSIAA Meet of Champions.
The senior at North Hunterdon was dealing with a nagging hip injury that didn’t allow him to train during the week leading up to the March 1 M of C.
But after a shaky start at the M of C, Knowles delivered the greatest performance of his career when he cleared a personal best 15-0 on his third and final try in the boys pole vault to break his own school indoor record.
The 15-0 by the Lehigh-bound Knowles tied him for the best vault of the meet with four others. He wound up fifth as the result of misses in the deepest pole vault competition in meet history. Mike Benz of Delbarton, who made 15-0 on his first try, finished first.
For Knowles, making 15-0 had been a huge goal for a long time. He was so jacked up after he cleared that height that he bounced off the mat and threw his fist in the air in celebration.
Knowles, who won the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 pole vault (13-6) and the state Group 4 pole vault (14-6), had a personal best of 14-9 heading into the M of C.
“I’ve been chasing it (15-0) for so long now,” Knowles said. “I’ve been stuck in that 14-foot range since my junior year, and I was just thirsty for 15-0. “I have a reputation of getting my PRs at MOCs, and I’m glad to keep that going.”
Knowles thought his hip and his lack of training that week would hurt him.
“I had the hip injury all week and was kind of down in a slump and not very confident about how I was going to do,” Knowles said. “My days were just coming home and icing it and resting. I wondered how was I supposed to do well if I couldn’t get out on the runway all week and prepare the way I needed to. It really had me down. Then I had a talk on Friday (the day before the meet) with my trainer (Eric Eisenhart of Pro-Activity) and that was a confidence booster.”
Knowles, who usually comes into the competition at 13-6, started at 13-0 at the M of C because of the hip.
“With the hip injury I was really cautious and nervous, so I came in at a lower opening,” Knowles said.
Things started out inauspiciously for Knowles as he missed on his first try at 13-0. But then he got consistent and made 14-0 and 14-6 on my first attempts.
Then came 15-0.
“I wasn’t sure how it was going to go,” Knowles said. “My first one was a good shot. I just brushed it. The second one I had a lot of adrenalin going and got a little too excited on my approach. On the last attempt there was lot of pressure. I was definitely debating on asking for a slow clap (from the crowd), but I thought it might mess me up too much. Then my coach just told me to calm down and just do what I’ve been doing, and I jumped like I usually do and it all worked out.
“It’s such a tough event mentally. Missing 13-0 on my first attempt of the meet could have set the tone of the whole meet for me. But then four hours later I made 15-0.”
Click HERE for the article in NJ.com.
