Mitchell Woo admits pole vaulting first brought unexpected challenges, but a little stick-to-itiveness turned the field event into his bread and butter.
The recently minted Belmont High School alum impressed in his final outdoor track and field season this spring, capturing the Division 2 championship and Middlesex League crown en route to league all-star status and Boston Globe All-Scholastic honors.
Woo tried rock climbing, gymnastics, and even American Ninja Warrior before finding pole vaulting in sixth grade. His older brother, Colby, participated too.
“Hated it,” Woo said. “I absolutely was not good, but that’s how everything goes the first time you try it.”
Two years after family friend and 2021 Belmont High School graduate Sarah Firth introduced the Woos to the sport, Mitchell Woo tried again in search of a winter and spring sport. Bigger and stronger than his first attempt, Woo took a liking to pole vault. Under the tutelage of longtime college coach Brenner Abbott, Woo noticed progress and stuck with it.
Woo competed with Belmont High School’s winter and spring track teams during his freshman and junior years. As a senior, Woo only did outdoor track and field. While most of his pole vaulting practice comes with outside organizations like Lux Virdi Athletic Club and Patriot Pole Vault (Belmont High School lacks pole-vaulting facilities), Woo also practiced and competed alongside Marauders sprinters and javelin throwers at MIAA meets. He’s made a lot of friends within the Belmont High School program, even if he spends a lot of time competing in independent events.
This past winter, he focused on meets independent of MIAA competition, up to three per week.
“It’s a little isolating, so I’ve been forced into practicing outside of school,” Woo said. “I do definitely feel like the team has been great… but the fact Belmont didn’t have any other athletes really looking into [pole vaulting] made it harder to stick around.”
Woo, who also golfed on Belmont High School’s varsity team, spoke from Taiwan, where he’s spending a month teaching English to Taiwanese students through a program with Taiwan’s government.
In addition to Woo, numerous Belmont High School athletes thrived this spring.
Two standouts from the eight-time defending state champion girls rugby program picked up Globe All-Scholastic honors–Senior Farrah Harris, the team’s starting fullback, and junior Rebecca Christensen, the No. 5 lock and Belmont’s top try scorer.
Girls lacrosse standout Niamh Lesnik finished her Marauders career with Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors. Bound to continue her athletic and academic pursuits at Division I Fairfield University, Lesnik finished a four-year varsity stint as the program’s second-leading scorer. She posted 91 goals and 10 assists, helping Belmont to a 12-6 record and a win in the MIAA Division 1 Tournament’s Round of 32.
Girls tennis freshman Isha Appadwedula earned honorable mention on the Globe All-Scholastic.
Belmont High School spring 2026 Middlesex League All-Stars
- Baseball: Kyle Ksander, Casey Regan
- Softball: Olivia Ormond
- Boys lacrosse: Thomas Adrian, Elijah Akins, Declan Doherty
- Girls lacrosse: Lily Cook, Niamh Lesnik, Natalie Merrow, Sydney Mun.
- Boys track: Michael Peavey, Mitchell Woo, Gregory Zugman
- Girls track: Kira van Kelsted
- Boys tennis: Brady Chan, Graham Coradesch, Miles Hendriks, Jack Moriarty
- Girls tennis: Isha Appadwedula, Giselle Fond
- Boys volleyball: Ian Choi
Commonwealth Rugby Conference
- Boys: Lucas Kolb, Enzo Passos, Sam Sullivan.
- Girls: Farrah Harris, LeeLee Kozelian, Rebecca Christensen, Claire Ferreira, Katherine Wong, Serena Field, Cosette McMullin
