Jewish Students Excel at Track & Field
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Jewish Students Excel at Track & Field

Local Jewish track and field stars on the rise.

By Nathan Posner September 3, 2021, 12:09 pm Edit

A rising sophomore at Georgetown University, Nathan plans to major in government and minor in film and media studies as well as statistics, hoping to eventually get into a career creating digital content for campaigns or  covering them for the Atlanta Jewish Times and other media outlets.

  • Davis Academy track coach Matt Barry and student Nick West pose with the record of West’s best performance of 15’ 1.5”. (Courtesy of Matthew Barry)
    Davis Academy track coach Matt Barry and student Nick West pose with the record of West’s best performance of 15’ 1.5”. (Courtesy of Matthew Barry)
  • Alon Rogow is seen at the USATF JO wearing his National Runner Up medal. (Courtesy of Matthew Barry
    Alon Rogow is seen at the USATF JO wearing his National Runner Up medal. (Courtesy of Matthew Barry
  • Laya Keadle competing in the pole vault during the indoor season. (Courtesy of Matthew Berry)
    Laya Keadle competing in the pole vault during the indoor season. (Courtesy of Matthew Berry)
  • Jordan Frank and Matt Barry at a meet where Jordan broke the freshman state record. (Courtesy of Matthew Barry)
    Jordan Frank and Matt Barry at a meet where Jordan broke the freshman state record. (Courtesy of Matthew Barry)

Jewish students have been excelling at track and field events in Georgia’s high school competitions.

Laya Keadle, a North Springs student, won the 5A state championship in pole vaulting as a 9th grader, with the highest jump for her year in the entire state. She also set a new school record for freshmen at North Springs.

Jordan Frank and Matt Barry at a meet where Jordan broke the freshman state record. (Courtesy of Matthew Barry)

Fellow North Springs student Jordan Frank, a Davis Academy alum, had the highest jump in the state as a 9th grader, with a vault of 14’ 4.75” — almost two feet higher than the next freshman. Frank is also believed to have the highest-ever vault recorded by a freshman in Georgia state history, breaking the record previously held by Alon Rogow, a Jewish rising senior at Dunwoody High School.

Davis Academy track coach Matt Barry and student Nick West pose with the record of West’s best performance of 15’ 1.5”. (Courtesy of Matthew Barry)

While Frank has been breaking records previously held by Rogow at Davis Academy and beyond, Rogow has continued to compete at a high level. He finished as the runner-up with a vault of 16’ 0.75” at the USATF Junior Olympics, although he tied with the winner for first place. At 16’ 2.5”, Rogow has the 10th best vault in Georgia history. With a year still left in high school, he has been talking with college track and field coaches and recruiters. Ranked 10th in the nation in pole vault — believed to be the highest ever for a Jewish athlete — Rogow finds himself only 12 inches from the all-time Georgia high school record.

Nick West, a recent graduate of Riverwood and Davis, respectively, set the school record at Riverwood before graduating. He hopes to eventually break the state pole vaulting record of 17’ 2”, set by former Olympic Trials vaulter Jordan Scott.

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