Rising Fast: From State to Top 3 in the Nation

When Luke Schnieber `27 first picked up a pole, he had no idea how far the sport would take him. Now a sophomore, Luke has vaulted into the national spotlight, clearing 16’7” this season, earning him the third-best mark in the country for his grade level and breaking the OHSAA Division III state record

His competitive journey began in eighth grade, when he qualified for the OHSAA Middle School State Meet with an 11’7” vault and then placed third at the state meet with a 12-foot jump. “I didn’t really realize I could excel in pole vaulting until my science teacher told me I was ranked in an article about the top jumps in Ohio,” says Luke.

Luke went on to break the CCDS high school record at his very first meet as a freshman (14’) and steadily built on that success. This year, he hit his long-awaited goal of 16 feet at a meet hosted by Mount St. Joseph. “I didn’t think I was going to make it,” he says. “I was on a smaller pole and didn’t think I’d get high enough, so I was really surprised.

“It took me a while to build up to that.” He now competes in both indoor and outdoor seasons for Country Day as well as with his club team, using a 15-foot 7-inch, 170-pound rated pole.

Luke credits Country Day for helping support his rapid growth. “They supply my poles, which is a big help, and they recently upgraded the pit, which has made a big difference.”

Pole vaulting runs in the family – his father (who is also a teacher at Country Day), Casey Schnieber, vaulted in school,  his older sister, Emma Kate `24, holds the Country Day girls record, and younger sister, Mia `30, recently won the MVC middle school league meet. His mother, Stacy, was also an Ohio state placer in 100m hurdles.

His friends are impressed, though most say they’ll stick to watching from the sidelines. “It can be scary when you make a jump but don’t clear the bar, or you’re sent back down the runway,” says Luke. “It’s fun to come down, but you have to get up there first.”

When asked what most people don’t realize about the sport, Luke didn’t hesitate. “It’s not really about the jump; it’s about the approach. If you aren’t fast enough or if your form is off, you won’t get on big poles, which means you can’t go as high.”

Looking ahead, he hopes to clear 17 feet this season and eventually compete at the collegiate level. “D1 would be awesome, but honestly, I’d be happy pole vaulting anywhere.”

His advice for others? “Just do it. It’s fun and it’s really rewarding to see how much you improve.”

Written by Chelsey Combs, college intern.