Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Alex Bates

Alex Bates continues to fly high. The Riverview senior placed first for pole vault at March 13's Ram Invitational — held at Riverview High School — with a height of 4.05 meters. He's committed to Tufts track and field, and last season, won the FHSAA Class 4A-District 12 and Class 4A-Region 3 titles en route to second place at the state meet. Bates is the Sarasota Athlete of the Week.

You've finished top-three in all four meets this season. What has it been like?

The season has been pretty good. I matched my (personal record) of 4.35 meters, which is about 14 feet, three inches, two weeks ago at Booker. Since then, I've been doing (well and) jumping high. I haven't beaten my PR yet, but I'm hoping for that to be very soon.

How are you working to improve on last season's successes?

This season, in my opinion, is all about having fun. I don't have to worry about anything. (I'm) just focusing on training, listening to my coaches and just having fun out there, not stressing about it all. I feel like that is what helps me jump high.

Despite this individual sport, what do you enjoy about Riverview's team?

My favorite part is definitely the people — they're all super supportive. I've got many friends on the track team. They always love watching me, and I love watching them as well. It's just a great atmosphere to be a part of and to train with each other.

When and why did you start pole vaulting?

I used to be a gymnast for many, many years. My mom (Kurstan Fox) was a gymnast as well in college, and my dad (Geoff Bates) was a long-distance runner in college. Once I started high school, I kind of fell out of love with gymnastics, and I ended up quitting that. My dad suggested that I pick up pole vaulting, because he knew many pole vaulters on his team who were ex-gymnasts that turned out to be really good. So I figured I'd give it a shot. I picked it up very quickly and felt like I was flying.

I understand you've met Simone Biles. How did that happen?

During the whole Larry Nassar scandal, they ended up shutting down the USA Gymnastics training camp, so they needed somewhere to train. Here in Sarasota, there's EVO Gymnastics, which is now a really big training facility for gymnastics. The (Women's National Team) ended up coming to train there for their monthly training sessions, so we would always see them training. It was super, super cool to see all that and ask for a (picture).

What quote or piece of advice motivates you?

My coaches (John Raleigh and Lacey Janson) always say, "The sky is the limit," and it's very true. The sky is the limit. I keep vaulting higher and higher.

If you could go anywhere for a dream vacation, where would you go and why?

I would say Costa Rica. I've seen it online, and it's absolutely beautiful and stunning there. I really like nature, so being able to see all that would be really cool.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would you eat and why?

A good, juicy steak. Steak is definitely one of my favorites.

What music helps you get in the zone during practice or before a meet?

I am a very big Beyoncé fan, so I do listen to her a lot. Specifically her "Renaissance" album really gets me in the mood (and) gets me motivated.

Finish this sentence. Alex Bates is...

Amazing.