Top Stories Of 2018 #7: Max Manson's State Record

Top Colorado Stories Of 2018

Dec 28, 2018

Max Manson celebrates his state meet record with his father, Pat Manson.

The year Pat Manson set the Colorado State Meet pole vault record at 17-3, Dionne and Friends topped the chart with their single "Thats What Friends Are For," young men were arguing over who was Maverick and who was Goose, as Top Gun was blazing through the box office, and the Commodore 64 was the first popular 'home computer.'

Yes, you read that last part right - there was a once time when personal computers in homes, like televisions or even cell phones, were not a common thing.

The year was 1986.

When all florescent colors faded and big hair went flat, Manson's mark of 17-3 had stood in test of time. Even after retiring, he coached others to topple the mark, but it wasn't until his son, Max Manson, flirted with the 17-foot marker earlier in the year did his state meet record appear in jeopardy.

It was Thursday, May 17 - 2018 - when Max came crashing down on the mat, back to reality, 32 years after his father cleared 17-3, to clear that mark by a mere half an inch.

Excerpt from : Manson Vaults To The Max

"The highlight of the field events, if not the meet, had to come in the pole vault. The story of Max Manson chasing his father's 32 year-old state meet pole vault record was just too good not to write before hand, and the moment lived up to the hype.

Manson cleared the field with ease, then went to work on jumping high. After missing his first two attempts at 17-0, Manson cleared the bar and appeared to have a few more inches in his back pocket.

With the state meet record standing at 17-3, the crowd, which included Manson's father, Pat, was left chuckling and excited in anxious energy as the junior had the bar set to 17-3.5.

Like his previous attempts at 17-0, Manson was just inches off clearing the 17-3.5 mark on his first two attempts. He clearly had the height, but on each descent, he was met with the bar crashing on top of him each time.

It was on the teeth-clenching third and final attempt that Manson soared into the record books.

He cleared 17-3.5 and watched the bar remain as he fell back to earth. The crowd erupted, and as if someone was making a movie somewhere, Manson popped up and pointed towards his father, who rushed down to give his son a congratulatory hug. The record, and the day, was his. Oh yeah, and he won state as well."

The story of son-chasing-father's-32 year-old-state-meet-record was already too good not to write the first time around, and adding to the fact that Max accomplished the feat in his junior year, was more than enough to vault him to the No. 7 Story of 2018.