Arkansas Native Hopes to Vault His Way to London

The pole vault is a sport that sends you soaring to the stars, only to bring you right back down to earth.

Razorback freshman, and Mount Ida Arkansas native, Andrew Irwin said, "Yes, I believe you do have to be a little bit crazy to do it."

At 19 years old, Irwin is quickly becoming one of the best vaulters around. During his first season with the University of Arkansas track and field team, Irwin won two conference titles, and was named the Southeastern Conference Freshman Field Athlete of the Year, and the overall Field Athlete of the Year. But Irwin is hoping for the ultimate honor, a trip to the Olympics in London.

Next week Irwin will compete in Eugene, Oregon at the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials.

He said, "Being able to have the opportunity to try and reach it this early on, I didn't expect it, but now it's here and I've got to go and try to make the best of it."

"I'm just looking at it mostly as an experience thing because I am still young and I've got a few more years at this, but at the same time I'm also looking at, you know, it doesn't come around every year, so you gotta take it while it's there."

So this award winning Hog will put his youth aside to focus on the red, white, and blue.

"It would be a great honor to make the team and go over there, and compete for the USA. So it's definitely something to strive for and it's something that you can live for."