It’s a bird, It’s a plane, No! It’s senior Joshua Sket.

This Falcon flies by propelling himself with a 12-foot long, flexible, fiberglass pole to glide over a high bar. 

After school every day, Joshua Sket can be spotted on the east side of the track, pole vaulting. He takes off with a running start, pushing his spikes into the rubber of the red track, bending his right leg and pushing off his left. He pushes off allowing him to grip higher on the pole vault crossbar. Josh’s speed and strength sets him up to soar himself over the high bar.

But the flying Falcon has not always been a pole vaulter.

Before he started out, Sket was doubtful about his ability to help the track team win. 

Sket said he “wanted to be able to earn points for the team while also enjoying what I was doing.” During Josh Sket’s freshman and sophomore years, he was unable to score any points in his running events, which were the one mile, two mile, and 800 meter races. The experience was draining and disappointing for him.

That disappointment departed when he asked Coach Brown if he could try pole vaulting. 

After his first meet, Sket was “mesmerized by the way the vaulter seemed to fly over the high bar.” He hoped he “would be able to contribute to the track team’s success by competing as a pole vaulter in the future.

And so he did just that. Josh scored eight points and placed first in the county during his first season pole vaulting.

According to Sket, pole vaulting has improved his mental health, thought process, and work ethic drastically. 

After vaulting for a while, Sket said he “felt accomplished rather than feeling disappointed” with himself. 

When it comes to the sport itself, Josh loves “the weightless feeling that is experienced while vaulting over the high bar.” He also “finds enjoyment in the improvement to my speed, form, strength, flexibility, mindset, and confidence” while pole vaulting. 

His weekly routine consists of him going to the gym. 

Sket said he works out “four days a week, early in the mornings and late at night after practices.”   

Branching out and trying new things encouraged Sket to develop both mentally and physically. 

The Falcon flier said that he “took a chance and went for it.” 

Sket encourages others to try new things, too. “Go for it, because you never know how you could benefit from it.”