Marble Falls’ Segovia finishes ninth at the Class 5A state meet

Marble Falls senior pole vaulter Django Segovia wrapped up his season with a ninth-place finish at the Class 5A state meet May 13.

Segovia missed clearing 15 feet and cleared 14-6 on his third attempt and 14-0 on his first try while competing at Mike Myers Stadium on the University of Texas at Austin campus. Segovia experienced plenty of firsts during the meet. It was his first time to vault in that stadium. The pole vault pit is right next to stands, making it the first time Segovia was that close to fans. And he wasn’t used to the number of spectators in attendance.

“It was pretty fun and exciting,” he said shortly after he finished competing. “I could have done better. There’s a lot more people watching you, and you feel like you have to do better. You push yourself more.”

The event couldn’t have started better for Segovia. He left no doubt about clearing 14-0 on his first try. And while he needed three attempts to clear 14-6, he looked smooth once he was over the bar and it stayed put.

Segovia often huddled with pole vaulting coach Justin Doiron after every attempt to get feedback on what adjustments should be made.

“I could have definitely done better, it wasn’t my greatest vaulting,” the Mustang said. “I needed to get my form better. Coach said my form was good, but I needed the standards (the arms that hold the bar in place) farther back.”

Very few meets prepare athletes for the atmosphere and environment of the state meet where many fans are sitting close together and may be watching five field events at once. And each fan has a different athlete they’re encouraging and aren’t shy about cheering.

“It’s definitely an experience,” Segovia said. “It was fun.”

Segovia was on a tear leading up to the state meet. He won eight gold medals during the 2022 season, including the District 25-5A championship and the District 25 and 26-5A area title. He finished third at the Class 5A Region IV meet and was awarded the wild card, which goes to the athlete with the best third place finish among the four regional bronze medalists, to compete at the state meet. And Segovia has tied the school record of 15-0 numerous times throughout the season and has come close to clearing 15-3 to break the record.

“It was definitely a fun time,” he said of his season. “There were challenges, and I learned how to push myself to do the best I can.”

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