Mia Manson set the US Freshmen Pole Vault Record last year.
All In The Family
The confidence Max and Mia exude is likely something passed down from their parents, Pat Manson and Amy Legacki Manson. Their father Pat is the current Colorado pole vault record holder, among his many accolades. Pat tallied three gold medals at the Pan American Games, spanning 1991-1999, and he finished sixth at the world championships in 1997 in Athens. Pat retired with a personal best of 19-2.25.
And Pat isn't the only athlete in the family with a stellar athletic resume. His wife, Amy, is a three-time Olympic Trials qualifier, spanning the 5k to the marathon. Among her notable PRs are a 15:55 5k, a 33:50 10k, and a 2:40:18 marathon.
Excellence, as is evident, runs in the family.
And it's something they shared with the community, as Pat and Amy hold track and field camps each summer, with Max and Mia helping out. Pat holds a pole vault each summer with a handful of the state's best, giving private lessons with the hope that he'll be able to help someone eventually take down his Colorado records, while Amy holds a youth track and field camp where kids learn about and compete in every event in the sport.
"We've been involved in the sport our whole life," Mia explained. "So, it came really natural."
For Max, some of his earliest memories on the track came watching his father compete.
"I was really little, I was barely walking at the time," Max shared with a laugh. "And I guess I picked up one of the poles and started walking down the runway."
Little did anyone know at the time, but that would be a prelude of what was to come, only he'd be moving a lot faster once he got his legs under him.
Max and Mia utilized climbing as their outlet through most of their childhood, but once high school came the pull of the pole vault succeeded, and like gravity, they had become what they were always destined to be.
Hit The Ground Sprinting
Max hit the ground running his freshmen year, placing second at the state meet with a 15-7 personal best. It was around this time Max began dreaming of flying to new heights, namely, taking down his father's records.
"I got to watch my dad help coach a few other guys get it," Max explained. "And I just got really inspired. I decided I wanted to be the one to do it."
A year later he duplicated his state result with another runner-up finish, and capped his season with a 16-0.25 PR.
Likewise, Mia captured something that had eluded her older brother in her first year in high school - a state title.
"I decided to give it a try my freshmen year," Mia explained. "And I quickly came to love it."
Mia won every competition she competed in except for two during her first outdoor season. She won state with a 12-6 jump, and capped her season with a 13-4.25 PR. The mark was a US freshmen pole vault record.
With another year under their belts, Max and Mia and vaulted to new heights this year. The duo opened their season indoors, and came out swinging.
Mia moved her PR to 13-6, and placing ninth at indoor nationals, while Max upped his PR to 16-9.5 and placed third at indoor nationals.
The duo took the momentum into the outdoor season, and have continued to rage on. Max has won every competition, and recently joined the 17-foot club, while Mia has won every competition as well, going 12-6 during the outdoor season.
While Mia is primarily a pole-vaulter, she also had a lot of success on the track, and in the long jump this season.
Mia tallied the 11th fastest 100 in 5A at 12.20, and the ninth-best long jump at 17-11.75.