Paul Migas, a Tennessee-bound senior at Lakes High and a winner of multiple Illinois state titles along with being the reigning adidas indoor national pole vault champion and a two-time All-America honoree at both New Balance Nationals Indoor and New Balance Nationals Outdoor, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss competing April 20 in the boys high school elite section at the 64th Mt. SAC Relays Presented by Nike at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Walnut, Calif. Migas cleared a lifetime-best 17-4.75 (5.30m) to win the high school boys pole vault competition March 29 at the 96th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, along with taking three attempts at 17-8.50 (5.40m). He reflects on producing seven 17-foot clearances during the winter indoor season, including a 17-3 (5.25m) effort Jan. 20 at the CYUP Misfits Invitational in Chicago, but not being able to achieve the breakthrough clearance he had been seeking until Texas Relays. Migas explains how significant it would be to join world record-holder Armand "Mondo" Duplantis as the only prep competitors to produce a 17-foot clearance at the Mt. SAC Relays. Duplantis achieved the meet all-time high school mark of 18-3 (5.56m) in 2017. He analyzes the development and improvement made since last year and expresses gratitude to not only his family, but the coaching staff at both Lakes High as well as Rise Pole Vault Club for their guidance and support during his career. Migas also examines how special it is to be part of such a deep senior class of elite national pole vaulters, including Dyson Wicker, Bryce Barkdull, Sam Abati, Taylor Searle and Jaden McKee, in addition to junior Caelan Harland, and how beneficial it has been for the members of the group to compete often against each other in order to help all the athletes improve. He also highlights how much the mentorship of Rise Pole Vault Club professional athlete and coach Luke Winder has meant in recent years, and how Migas and Winder are both seeking victories April 20 at Mt. SAC Relays, with the men's invitational elite section scheduled to follow the high school boys competition on the same runway. Migas shares how motivated he is to not only secure a third consecutive Illinois state championship, but also how inspired he is to achieve an 18-foot clearance and capture his first outdoor national crown before shifting focus to the next chapter of his career at Tennessee and his long-term goal of competing at the 2028 U.S. Olympic Trials in Los Angeles.