McKenna discovered her love for pole vaulting at Ozona High School, where she cleared an impressive 12 feet. She went...
Archive for: Coach
Jamie Riojas
Athletics was always a part of my life growing up and I was four sport athlete in high school. I attended Texas A&M from 2001-2005 where I was a four-year Lettermen in the discus, shot put, hammer, and weight throw. During my time there I as a Big X11 All-Conference discus thrower who qualified for Nationals in 2003 with a personal best of 172.4…
Ben Ploetz
512-777-8537
My passion for track and field started in high school when I got to watch my older brother pole vault and run hurdles. Before I knew it, we were both competing for the Bobcats at Southwest Texas State University. During my time as a Bobcat, I was a three-time All-Conference Decathlete and two-time Conference Champion…
Ben Skrla
Ben’s accomplishments at Texas A&M placed him in the top of the field. His personal bests were 178’ in the discus, 170’ in the hammer, and 61’ in the weight throw. He qualified for regionals in all 4 years of competition in the discus and finished as high as 9th place at the SEC Championships. Ben is a graduate of both Texas A&M and Rice University...
Coach Brian Elmore: Head Pole Vault Coach
Since joining APV in the fall of 2018, Coach Brian has become a cornerstone of our program, drawing athletes from across Texas to benefit from his unparalleled coaching. His dedication has propelled over 40 athletes to join college pole vault teams in the past six years alone, showcasing his ability to prepare young athletes for success at the next level.
Coach Brian is a certified master-level pole vault official, ensuring that his athletes receive training grounded in technical precision and competitive integrity. His deep knowledge of the sport, combined with his passion for mentoring young athletes, makes him an exceptional coach for aspiring vaulters. He has officiated the Texas Relays for 30 years and officiated 10 UIL State Championships.