WORDEN — Luke Donally makes pretty much everything he does look natural, but he’ll be the first to admit the pole vault isn’t easy.
The defending State B champion and Huntley Project senior has had to battle the mental side of things early this season.
“I've no-heighted twice already this year, so that's not a fun time. Figuring out how to get through no-heights and how to get through poles will be a big step," Donally told MTN Sports.
Donally has a dedication to his craft that’s led him to the precipice of both school (15 feet by Garrett Buer in 2006) and state (14 feet, 9.25 inches by Cascade's Andrew Castle in 2002) records in the event. He gives some of that credit to those he’s competed with through the years.
“I was definitely vaulting with some Class AA guys that were pushing me higher that I could actually visualize me competing with at practice, so for me that was more beneficial," Donally said.
Now he’s a soft-spoken guy and doesn’t care whether he’s getting any individual glory. Just take a look at the dirty work he did for the football team on the offensive and defensive lines. He has an innate ability to lock in on the task at hand.
“Definitely when I'm competing in something I care about, I am focused on myself and not trying to talk to anybody else. They're all my enemies at that point and it's me against them," said Donally.
The pressure of repeating may have weighed on him early in the year, but Donally has the No. 2 mark in Montana and tops in Class B at 14 feet.
