Gatesville’s Amos Phillips returns to state pole vault meet after late start

Amos Phillips turned a late start into another trip to the biggest stage in Texas high school track, giving Gatesville another reason to celebrate at the 2026 UIL State Track and Field Meet in Austin.

Phillips, a Gatesville Hornet, competed in the Class 4A boys pole vault at Mike A. Myers Stadium at the University of Texas in Austin on May 14-16, marking his second straight state appearance in the event. He entered as the No. 7 seed after winning the Region III title by clearing 14 feet, 6 inches, and his career-best mark of 14-7, set at area, showed how far he climbed after a delayed start to the season.

That progress mattered because Phillips did not begin vault work until after Gatesville’s basketball season ended Feb. 27. He started doing drills in February, but did not really begin jumping until March 1, months behind many of the vaulters he faced. Coach Matthew Dillon said most serious pole vaulters train year-round or start much earlier, making Phillips’ late surge all the more unusual in a highly technical event where timing and repetition matter.

Phillips also stood out physically in an event where body type can be a factor. The Gatesville Messenger reported he is 6-foot-2 and averaged 192 pounds this season. Dillon said the average high school vaulter is usually between 5-6 and 5-10 and weighs 145 to 165 pounds, while elite vaulters often are around 6 feet and 170 to 180 pounds. Even so, Phillips found a way to keep improving, and his 13-6 at the 2025 UIL state meet gave him a clear state-meet baseline to build from this spring.

The state field was led by Dane Mignerey of Wimberley, who entered as the top seed after clearing 15-3. Against that kind of competition, Phillips’ climb from late February drills to a regional championship was the central story.

His spring success also fit into a strong year for Gatesville athletics. Phillips was a starter on the Hornets team that won the program’s first district basketball championship since 2010, and he shared district MVP honors with Charlie Winkler. With a family history that already includes a few relatives who have competed in the pole vault at state, Phillips carried both personal momentum and local pride back to Austin, where Gatesville again had a serious contender on the runway.