St. Augustine pole vaulter Efram Melendez only picked up the sport as a freshman, but he has quickly become one of the best in the Gateway City. In two shorts years, Melendez went from an unknown vaulter to narrowly missing the cut for the TAPPS state track meet, and that left a burning desire to come back the ensuing year.
Melendez cleared 8-foot-6 as a freshman, and he won Border Olympics as a sophomore with a mark of 13 feet. He has been clearing 14-foot-8 at the start of his junior season and has had good attempts at 15 feet.
