Such Great Heights: James Rigney

[FULL STORY]

Senior James Rigney vaulted into the record books this year with a record-breaking pole vault height of 14 feet, 0 inches.  On May 26, the School held a small ceremony in the Tuohy Gym, where Newman Athletics officials replaced the plaque denoting the record set by the previous pole-vaulter, George Baus ’86, who held the previous record of 13 feet, 8 inches since his senior year. Mr. Baus was on hand to congratulate James for his accomplishment in breaking the 25-year record.

But there is more to this story than breaking a pole vault record. This story is about how much a motivated student can accomplish at Newman. The unique, unfettered environment of the School is fertile soil for accomplishment. Newman’s facilities, faculty, and community allow a remarkable student like James to truly achieve great heights.
And James is a remarkable student. Three of his courses are college level, so he will have college credits when he goes off to Rhodes in the fall. One of his passions is physics, a subject which his college counselor, Julie Taylor-Vaz believes had some impact on his success on the track team.  “James is a physics whiz, and I’ve always wondered how his intuitive understanding of physics and longtime intellectual interest in the subject has been intertwined with the mind-body experience of pole vaulting,” she said. He is also very driven, says Ms. Taylor-Vaz:  “When I met with him in the early fall and asked him (as I do with all of my seniors) what his goals were for his senior year, breaking the pole vaulting record was clearly his focus.”

Music also plays largely in James’s life. He is a multitalented musician, “fluent” on many instruments, and a drum virtuoso. As part of the Upper School Band, he plays on the drum line as well as performing on a full drum kit. During the Arts Week Assembly, he played guitar and sang a duet with another student. And as a chorus member, he arranged and performed an a cappella song with his fellow Off-Key singers.  

Beyond Newman, James will be able to continue to put his ambition – and pole-vaulting skills – to good use. James will be vaulting in college, at Rhodes, which has a Division III program. Such programs are known for honoring the ideal of the student-athlete. Moreover, Rhodes’ program has close ties to the Earl Bell training facility in rural Arkansas that James visited semi-annually while at Newman. The facility is so close to Rhodes that the team goes there about four times each semester. Furthermore, Randy Zell, James’s coach, believes that James has the potential to continue vaulting beyond college. The sky truly is the limit.