The Class of 1999

Candy Alsaedi,

Tanya Buss,

Tiffany Castle, Shannon Carroll,

Jennifer Earnest, Rebecca Eden, Carolyn Espaillat,

Alison Fernandez,

Brandi Graves,

Sarah Heiden, Mark Hollis,

Emily Kradle, Kristal Kuehl,

Justin Mills, Kacey Mudore,

Amanda Pickard, Heidi Pommerening, Corey Pulfrey,

Danielle Rogers,

Tara Sprecher,

Jennifer Wichman, Valerie Wichman, Darlene Wise, Deangelo Woodall.

Mark Hollis won two NAIA national pole vautl titles at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais. Then he vaulted in a mall in Iowa and became a YouTube sensation.

Hollis was a virtual unknown until he vaulted April 23, 2008, at a mall in West Des Moines in a publicity event for the Drake Relays. The crowd roared for Hollis and Derek Miles, who is ranked fourth in the world. Both cleared 18 feet, 8 3/4 inches, and Hollis, in particular, thrilled the 2,000 fans who jammed into the Jordan Creek Town Center. The qualifying height for the 2008 Olympics is 18 feet, 8 inches. On April 30, he raised his personal best to 18' 10-1/4" at the University of Illinois. He qualified to attend the Olympic Trials here in Eugene, Oregon.

Hollis graduated from Olivet in 2007 with a degree in sports management. After a second place finish in 2005, he won the NAIA national championship in 2006 and 2007.

Hollis set personal records in three consecutive meets. His first, a vault of 18-1 at Wheaton College, earned him a provisional invitation to the Olympic Trials. The vault at the mall earned him an automatic Trials berth, plus a trip to the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, the site of the Trials, which began June 27.

Hollis finished seventh at the Prefontaine Classic at 17' 10" while Brad Walker broke the U.S. record with a vault of 19' 9-3/4". “But now I have the experience of being there, on that track,” Hollis said.

He knows an Olympic medal is not just a dream. An additional 6 inches could mean an Olympic medal; the USA’s Tim Mack and Toby Stevenson finished 1-2 in 2004 with vaults of 19' 6" and 19' 4". “I could jump 19 and a half feet this year,” Hollis said. “That’s not out of my reach.”

Hollis didn’t even make first-team all-NIC-9 at Freeport High School. Hollis finished ninth in the state as a senior, but was only honorable-mention all-conference, behind Harlem’s David Ziemann. Even in college, he was nothing like this, although he steadily improved. He placed second in the nation at Olivet at 16' 8-3/4" as a sophomore. He then won the NAIA title at 17' 2-3/4" in 2006 and repeated in 2007 at 17' 5-3/4".

His vault at the mall not only earned him an automatic bid to the Olympic Trials, but passing the ‘A’ standard meant USA Track & Field would pay for the trip. His Prefontaine invitation also came with free airfare, lodging and meals. (Photo & story info from Assistant Sports Editor Matt Trowbridge of the Rockford Register Star, June 16, 2008.)

Here's his vault at the mall:

And here he is at the University of Illinois:

And one more time, a how-to video produced by Mark's brother:

And here's a story about Mark Hollis in 2013, complete with more videos, vaulting into a bean bag chair, and "the most interesting pole vaulter in the world."