Dallastown's Jared Allison clears 14 feet, 3 inches during the pole vault event at the Dallastown Track and Field Invitational last month. Allison won an indoor state championship in the pole vault in February, and he will be one of the contenders to win a Class AAA title at the PIAA track and field championship this weekend at Shippensburg University. (Daily Record/Sunday News -- Chris Dunn)

It has been barely two years since Dallastown's Jared Allison pole vaulted for the first time, and since then he has smashed school and league records. He's already won an indoor state title, clearing 15 feet, 6 inches this past February. Two weeks ago, he obliterated a YAIAA league meet record that had stood for 33 years.

Come Saturday, Allison will be one of the contenders to win gold in the Class AAA pole vault competition at the PIAA track and field championships at Shippensburg University.

He possesses a blend of skills that seem lab-engineered for his sport, a combination of size, speed and dynamic athleticism.

"I feel like this was kind of what I was destined to do," Allison said.

And yet Allison's path to the pole vault has been as unnatural as the event itself. Some might call it chance. Allison prefers to think of it as fate.

Before he could become one of the top pole vaulters in the state, Jared Allison first had to get cut.

Click here to read the full story on GameTimePA.com, complete with a slideshow of photos of Allison and a list of athletes to watch this weekend.

PIAA track and field championships

The state track and field championships are at Shippensburg University's Seth Grove Stadium.
   Friday: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
   Saturday: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

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