The silence was deafening as Lukas Brauc stepped onto the runway of a full fieldhouse, waiting to launch over a 15-foot 9-inch bar. A slow clap began, encouraging him to start his sprint. The support led him to the pit, where he planted his pole and cleared the bar with ease. 

Brauc, a junior and one of the captains of the Oak Park and River Forest pole vault team, is eager and ready to beat the school record of a 16-foot two-inch vault in future outdoor meets.

Brauc started his indoor season this year with a 13-foot 4-inch vault on Feb. 1 and, after a month of work, hit a personal record of 15-feet 9-inches on March 2 at the 23rd Annual Windy City Pole Vault Summit in Rolling Meadows, Ill.

The increase in height did not come easily, as Brauc dedicates a lot of time to his sport. On top of daily practice at OPRF, he drives an hour away to a pole vault facility called Rise twice a week.

At Rise and OPRF, Brauc maintains his high spirits. Whether it’s doing a drill such as snap, crackle, pop, or filming for his teammates, Brauc always has a good attitude.

Vivian Wienke, a senior and a member of the OPRF pole vault team, said it’s great to have Brauc on the team. “He’s so dedicated, and I think that really reflects onto the team when you see one of your teammates doing well and working hard.”

Teammates said the bond that Brauc nurtures in the pole vault team comes from both his caring personality and his love for the sport. It’s difficult to maintain both great relationships on the team and be a star athlete, but Brauc manages that with ease. 

Hannah Franke, a senior at OPRF and one of the captains of the team, said Brauc is a great friend. She explained how “not only does [Brauc] work really hard and clear the bars, but he also seems to enjoy the sport a lot,” she said. “So it rubs off a positive energy on the rest of us.”

That positive energy is needed as pole vault requires a lot of mental strength. Each vaulter goes one at a time, and they typically compete at the beginning of meets, attracting all eyes.

Before a meet, Brauc has to mentally prepare for what’s ahead. “I visualize the meet and how I’m going to warm up: what I’m going to do during the meet and then what things I need to look out for in other people and in myself, like form or how much energy I have.”

Energy is a big thing for Brauc, as he has been selected multiple times by his coaches to run the men’s 4×400-meter relay. In the conference meet held at York, he ran the 400 in 52.10 seconds, a personal record. That was not his only participation at the conference meet, as he cleared a 15-foot pole and attempted a 15-foot 6-inch vault before his race. 

The sport requires physical toughness, too. Wienke explained vaulters have to battle through the many injuries that impact performance. The team shares injuries such as shin splints, tendonitis and bruises on their wrists. 

The high spirits, encouraging environment and driven athletes create an environment focused on success, Brauc said. He even noted how his team might be one of the best in the state because of the bond that they all have with each other.

As Brauc puts this year’s indoor season behind him, his ambitions are right in front of him. The current school record is held at 16-feet 2-inches by Josh Negron, a current freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, and Brauc is aiming to beat that. “I’m trying to beat Josh, but the second I do, I’m going for the top dynasty, 17-feet 3-inches,” he said. He is ready to beat the state record.

Brauc’s confidence is soaring, instilling faith that he will go far on this team. Wienke made it clear that “pole vault is a whole lot of awesome sauce,” and Brauc has the sauce to get where he wants to be.