Curtis Bell fell in love with pole vaulting the very first time he watched his oldest brother do it.
This year, the 2014 Coleman High School graduate broke a state Division 4 track and field record in winning the pole vault title. Bell cleared 15’1″ and set the meet record May 31 in Hudsonville. The old record set in 2011 was 15’0″. He beat the second-place vaulter, Jacob Walton of North Muskegon, who was at 14’10”.
It was quite an improvement for Bell from 2013 when he cleared 12’10” to tie for third place.
Bell is not about to give up the sport he loves. He’s now planning on pole vaulting at Aquinas College.
He has been vaulting seven years, having started in middle school. “I saw my brother doing it, and I got jealous,” he smiled, referring to Riley Bell, who did the event one year in middle school before eventually focusing more on baseball.
Curtis soon realized that he could reach some high goals in the sport. The highest came at the 2014 state meet.
“The Tuesday before the state meet, I jumped 15’6″,” Bell said. That vault occurred at the Morning Sun Meet of Champions.
Bell placed third in mid June at the Midwest Meet of Champions.
He had also been at the state meet as a sophomore but didn’t place. He became an all-stater as a junior to set the stage for a possible state title as a senior. Getting 15’1″ at the state meet for the record was another goal he met.
Bell takes pride in having improved as a vaulter every season.
“Last year, I went into the state meet ranked first, and I was really tense and worried about it,” he recalled. “Over the year, my form did improve, and I did get a [different] pole, which did help. This year, I went in relaxed [with the attitude] that whatever happens happens, and you can’t go back on it.”
His performance at the Morning Sun Meet boosted his confidence.
When he was in eighth grade, he became confident that he had a solid future in vaulting. “The year prior, my seventh grade year, I jumped eight feet,” Bell said. “Our middle school pole vault record was nine. Once I beat that, I knew I could possibly go somewhere with pole vault, and if I tried really hard at it…it was a hobby to start and now, it’s pretty much every part of my life.”
Bell vaulted year round, including summer and winter competition. He vaulted wherever he could.
Kyle Payne, a coach at Nouvel Catholic Central, ran a pole vaulting session during the winter in which Bell participated with a club-like team.
“I worked with him all winter about three or four times a week,” Payne said. “Nothing surprises me about him. He’s probably one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever been around. It doesn’t shock me at all he set the state record. He was capable of it going into the season.
“He’s a great listener. With pole vault, it’s very technical. There’s a lot of detail aspects that go into it. Curtis obsesses over the details. He’s a perfectionist. He understands and comprehends everything. He learns well. He’s very coachable. That’s what sets him apart.”
Bell also worked with Jerry Sessions from Vermontville, who is a coach for Landon Athletics, a pole vault group.
Pole vault was his main event. Up until his junior season, Bell also ran the 3,200-meter run. He also competed in the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Winning the 4×400 relay in the Highland Conference was also satisfying for Bell.
He ran cross country for three seasons before the school dropped the sport his senior year. The Comets won the conference for the first time his sophomore season.
Bell is now focusing on being a pole vaulter at Aquinas.
“My mom was searching schools that had a chemistry program and a good vault program,” Bell said. “Aquinas came up and she said ‘Why don’t you check it out?’ I started e-mailing the coach [Dave Wood], and we got along pretty well. They’re getting a brand-new indoor facility. Everything kind of went together.”
Aquinas has a vaulter who competed in the NAIA nationals.
Bell’s main focus will be the pole vault at Aquinas. “If they need me for something else, like a sprint, I’ll be glad to do it,” he said. “Right now, my main goal is to just be competitive at that level. Our conference is pretty competitive in the pole vault. My main goal is to be competitive and maybe place at a meet. Whatever happens, happens. If I can improve, awesome.”