THE TWIN TAKEOVER

Photo courtesy of Paula Moll

MAGIC IN OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON

By Tim Reilly

There are so many remarkable athlete stories in track clubs across America, but a really special one is unfolding in Olympia, Washington. Meet Hana and Amanda Moll, the most exciting high school track and field twins since pole vaulters Lexi and Tori Weeks led the nation in 2015. The Molls may run the table on U.S. pole vault records before they graduate, but there is more to love than this.

Their first track coach, a multis specialist named Mike Strong from Olympia, sent them to me to try vaulting about midway through their 7th grade year, as he has done with his other star decathletes. My first impression was that they were as cute as little people could be, joyfully enthused to play at something new. By the end of the first lesson, I could see rare aptitudes that would take them high and fast. Though Coach Mike still trains them for the heptathlon, he could quickly see as well that they would specialize with me by freshman year. In their 8th grade summer, they placed first and third at the 2019 USATF National Junior

Olympic Championships in Sacramento. Hana won the day with a meet record of 11’8. At the Pole Vault Summit in Reno this year, they improved to 12’4 (Amanda) and 12’8 (Hana), and met their predecessors Tori and Lexi. Despite the disappointment of Covid ongoing still, their progress has accelerated exponentially.

Why are they special? They’re still as enthusiastic as ever, but they have also grown into world class pole vaulter physiques, 5’9” tall with the running mechanics of gazelles. They are also super athletes, excelling as gymnasts, rock climbers, mountain bike racers, and volleyball players. They have the dexterity and balance of cats; they know exactly where they are in the air, and find their way safely to their feet whenever a vault goes wrong or short. There is an x-factor of vaulting talents, an unknowable of fear or caution that shows itself at challenging moments on the journey. Many promising vaulters don’t reveal this in their first year or more of rapid progress. In this, the twins are rare again. No raising bar or next pole seems to faze them; they jump with joyful confidence in most conditions.

An anecdote on this – this summer Amanda progressed faster than Hana, and was gunning for Mia Manson’s national freshman record of 13’5”. In July, she thought she’d beaten it, but a post vault measurement showed her short by half an inch. Two weeks later she had another crack at it, making 13’6 then 13’9. When Athletic.net rejected the marks as official, as no athletes from other clubs were present, we arranged a third attempt two weeks later with more opponents. She made 13’6 and 13’9 again, which no one can expect. How often do elite athletes clear their personal best? Mandy was pleased but happy to raise it to 14’. We thought Kat Stefanidi’s world record was 4.31, so we moved it up to 4.32 without telling her. She made this without a brush and acted not the least surprised. When we asked if she wanted to raise it to 4.36 (14’3”), an outrageous number, she said, Sure. On a pole larger than she had ever touched, she cleared it on her second try. I have never had an athlete operate so indifferently to the ordinarily stressful adjustments of PRs, records, or new poles never tried before. On Instagram, Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack remarked, “Check her out, she just walks off the pit like it was no big deal.” Meanwhile Hana improved to 4.0 meters herself, which in ordinary contexts would be stunning as well.

How are they different?

For two seasons, I confess to have relied upon the color of their shoes or Hana’s braces to tell them apart. But there are contrasts. Mandy seems to learn technical complexities faster, hence her surge of height and technique this past summer. Her athleticism and balance are comparable to Chloe Cunliffe’s, who didn’t make 14’ until her junior summer. Hana is stronger and a bit faster than Mandy, and will not be left behind for long. Mandy is also a little more resilient to frustration. In tough practice sessions, Hana needs more reminding to embrace the process and be patient. This fall she is making great progress with hard technical changes we’ve been working on since last summer. She will likely catch up soon.

Coach Mike plans to keep them training in the multis for at least another year. After that, they will likely continue to long jump and hurdle. By current appearances, they will be 19’ long jumpers and mid 14s hurdlers, which suggest their pole vault potential is world class.

While Amanda has established herself as the most promising female vaulter in U.S. history, it is only right to consider her as a twin. She and Hana do everything together: vault, hike, bike, and train. They feed off of each other’s challenges, and celebrate each others’ successes. Their parents deserve gigantic credit for the loving, playful, totally supportive system raising them, as well as their legendary coach, Mike Strong, for watching their overall training program and workloads. It takes a village to raise twins like these, to keep them healthy and to keep it fun. Their spirits impact our club environment profoundly, and it is my sheer delight to have had them entrusted to me.

Photo courtesy of Tim Reilly