It's funny what can motivate a person.
For Wilbraham & Monson Academy track member Liam Garrison '20, it took the success of someone on a different team to push him to new heights – literally.
Liam set a school record in the pole vault, clearing 11 feet at the New England Prep School Track Association Division III Championships May 19 at The Hyde School in Maine.
"I'm very happy," expressed Liam, who placed fourth at the championship. "In my mind, it allows me to think I will do a lot better next year. Going into this season, 11 feet was something I hoped to achieve but might not."
He did achieve it, doing so on his final of three attempts at 11 feet after receiving some confidence from a competitor.
"There was another person doing pole vault and he was of comparable ability," Liam explained. "And he missed his first two attempts but then he cleared 11 right before I was ready to go for my last attempt so I thought, 'You know what? Let's just do it.'"
Sure enough, Liam got his feet and then the rest of the body over the bar, and his celebration began before he even landed.
"Right after I cleared it, I was cheering on the way down," said Liam, who also set a personal best in the triple jump with a mark of 39-5½ and a third-place finish. I was so excited because I knew there was no way that bar was going down."
Liam, who will attend a track camp at Rhode Island College in the summer, set the school record in mid-May by clearing 10-7.