Published May 7 2025
BY LAITH RODRIGUEZ
Every spring, students of Carmel High School wander past the track after school, where athletes train for meets and invitationals scattered throughout the season. Near the back of the track, pole vaulters train in heavy crosswinds, running at full speed, then bending fiberglass or carbon fiber poles, almost defying physics as they soar over the standards and land on mats.
Among the crew is Bella Ortega, a senior pole vaulter whose training has led to another Pacific Coast Athletic League championship title. Ortega is currently ranked third in CCS, and she’s a first place vaulter in PCAL with a personal best of 11 feet.
The CHS senior is planning on attending Cal Poly SLO in the fall. Photo by FIGS AND FOG PHOTOGRAPHY
“I was already on the track team, and I went to one of the high jump practices with my friend,” Ortega explains. “The jumps coach asked if I wanted to try pole vault. I agreed, and he told me to go for it. I almost immediately fell in love with the sport.”
While the track team does not have an official position for a pole vault coach, Ortega explains that had she had a full coach at the time, she would not have taught herself the skills she uses to this day. This lack of restriction created a sense of self-discipline in Ortega, who has won the championship title for the Gabilan Division for the past four years.
“She’s a terrific athlete,” says vertical jump coach Matthew King. “She’s grown tremendously as a vaulter over the past few years.”
While King mainly coaches high jumpers, Ortega says the coach helped her get in contact with an off-season coach, allowing her to train during other parts of the school year. Ortega also finds herself at the gym with teammates, bettering herself through pole-vault-specific exercises.
“Bella’s an extremely dedicated athlete,” says Joe Miyoshi, who coaches multi-event track and field athletes at Soquel High School. “She hit a rut early on this season, but from what I’ve heard, she’s dug herself out of it.”
Miyoshi has been coaching track and field athletes for the better part of four decades and was a collegiate pole vaulter himself. Miyoshi and King were able to work together to get Ortega to open practices in Soquel on weekends.
King says the athlete found herself in a funk at the beginning of this season, but since matching her personal best from last year’s North Monterey County meet, she’s been reminded of her skill.
“It was a reminder I can do it,” says Ortega. “Struggling at practices and early meets in the season gave me a lot of self doubt, and matching my record gave me a lot of hope.”
Bella Ortega matched her previous record of 11 feet at the meet against North Monterey County earlier this season. Courtesy of BELLA ORTEGA
King says that while he’s focused on training high jumpers and recruiting more athletes to the event, Ortega has been a huge inspiration for other athletes on the team.
“Her teammates look up to her,” says King. “She’s able to help the younger athletes, which allows me to turn my attention elsewhere.”
Ortega suffers from exertional compartment syndrome in both of her legs, which expands the muscles in the legs to the point of constriction, causing pain and swelling. The athlete explains that, in her case, lactic acid can build up and cause a lack of blood to reach her legs. This ended Ortega’s hopes of running long distance and inspired her switch to pole vault her freshman year.
“While it was a problem with running for me, it isn’t as much for pole vault,” Ortega explains. “I get breaks between attempts, and the distance to run before the vault pit is short. It works perfectly for me.”
Bella Ortega competed in the CCS Top Eight Invitational on April 19 and placed fourth, yet again matching her personal best of 11 feet. Ortega hopes to continue improving for the remainder of the season with the ultimate goal of winning CCS.
