All-Area Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Weiss skies to new heights

At the conclusion of his freshman season, two things became crystal clear for Flintridge Prep pole vaulter Barrett Weiss.

“When I first started, I was told you measured improvement in feet and that a successful season included improving and going farther each year,” Weiss said.

Weiss’ other revelation was more of an epiphany.

“I knew my brother was really talented and would be excellent competition,” he said. “Probably my best.”

On May 18, 2012, the sibling rivalry between Gareth and Barrett Weiss seemed to peak when both tied for the CIF Southern Section Division IV championship in the pole vault with leaps of 12 feet, 9 inches.

Gareth was awarded the title and Barrett took runner-up in a competition that kick-started a battle that lasted for three more years and spanned several competitions.

“Honestly, it’s a friendly rivalry,” Gareth said. “After all, we’re brothers. We want the other to do well. We push each other to do better. Sometimes, Barrett beats me and sometimes I do better. It’s fun and I do like winning.”

While Gareth carried the day in 2012, Barrett’s resume isn’t shabby, particularly in 2015.

The senior is the Prep League champion, a CIF Southern Section Division IV silver medalist, the Southern Section’s top vaulter at the Masters Meet and, lastly, took third at the season-ending CIF State Meet.

For those efforts and more, the Stanford-bound Barrett Weiss, who’s also a talented gymnast, was named the 2015 All-Area Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year, as voted by the sportswriters of the Glendale News-Press, La Cañada Valley Sun and Burbank Leader.

Weiss is the second consecutive pole vaulter to win the award, after Burroughs High’s Matt Schwartz did so last season, and is the first Rebel to claim the prize in more than a decade.

“I wish I could say I had this great plan or whatever, but I really just wanted to keep doing better each week,” Barrett Weiss said. “It was a great season and I’m happy I was able to complete it and do as best as I could at the end. I wanted to go out on a high note.”

Puns aside, it was expected to find Barrett Weiss high atop the leader board in 2015.

“Barrett is a real talented guy,” South Pasadena’s Esteban Suarez said. “When you look at what he’s done throughout the season, it shouldn’t be surprising. I had a chance to be in a couple of meets with the Weisses and they always challenged each other.”

Suarez, a fellow pole vaulter who also attends Alhambra’s Payke Gymnastics Academy with the Weisses, highlighted a key stat.

Barrett Weiss finished in the top three in every competition with the lone exception coming at the CIF State Prelims.

The senior finished second with a height of 15 feet at the Redondo Nike Invitational on March 14 and then took first at the Pasadena Games on March 28 with a vault of 14-10 (4.52 meters).

While both marks were solid, they still fell short of Weiss’ top mark of 2014, when the then-junior hit 15-2 at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet.

That height was eventually surpassed May 1 at the Prep League finals at Redondo Union High.

In the evening competition, Barrett Weiss set a new personal and Prep League record by jumping 15-6, which was a foot better than second-place Gareth Weiss.

The mark of 15-6 stood for a couple of weeks as Barrett Weiss hit the height at the Division IV preliminaries and punched his ticket to the Division IV finals at Cerritos College on May 23.

On that day, history was on the side of Gareth Weiss, who tied Barrett with a mark of 15-6, but who also won his third Division IV championship in four years.

In all three victories, Gareth tied his brother at the divisional finals dating back to 2012, but won each time due to fewer faults.

“For as long as I’ve known Barrett and Gareth, they’ve been stoic,” Suarez said. “They don’t like to show their emotions, but you could tell Barrett was annoyed. You could tell it bothered him that he and Gareth tied again and that Gareth won again. I really think that fueled him.”

Barrett’s time to shine, however, came back at Cerritos College at the Masters Meet on May 29.

Expectations of advancing to the CIF State Meet developed a new twist as Barrett Weiss tied with Marina’s Jett Gordon for the event’s top height of 15-9.

Both competitors then took part in a jump off where Barrett Weiss set a new personal record of 16 feet in winning the competition and gaining the Southern Section’s No. 1 spot heading to the CIF State Championships at Clovis.

“It was amazing to get to 16 feet, something that you shoot for, but you’re not sure you’ll ever hit,” Barrett Weiss said. “That was a proud moment.”

Suarez, who finished tied for fourth with Gareth Weiss and advanced with a mark of 15-3, also was in awe.

“Honestly, I didn’t know if he had it in him, because it’s such an accomplishment,” Suarez said. “When I watched during the jump off, I couldn’t help but hope he’d win. Going 16 feet is just so amazing.”

Hopes and aspirations of carrying over momentum were hampered and appeared to end in frustration again for Barrett Weiss at the CIF State prelims at Clovis’ Buchanan High.

Gareth Weiss faulted on five of six attempts and finished with a height of 14-2, which placed him 18th and unable to advance.

Barrett Weiss also appeared done when he faulted on five of seven attempts and finished in a three-way tie for 10th at 14-8.

At the end of the competition, the top nine placers were announced as advancers, which left Barrett out of luck – for about 90 minutes.

“We had to file a complaint because they decided to take nine people instead of 12 based on the first day,” Barrett Weiss said, “whereas they could have taken the next three guys to make it 12. There’s a little bit of bad wording in the rules. So, we were able to point that out and then after 1 1/2 hours of debating, they let the three of us in.”

Weiss’ successful protest allowed him, La Costa Canyon’s Kyle Brown and Northgate’s Joe Malott to advance to Saturday’s final day of competition.

With an opportunity to jump once more, Barrett Weiss capped a magical season by taking third in the pole vault with a height of 15-9.

The height tied him with Oak Ridge’s Austin Laut and Marina’s Gordon, who finished first and second, respectively, due to fewer faults.

“When he got to the last day, I knew he was going to do something big,” Gareth Weiss said. “Of course, I was cheering him on. If there’s one person who knows how hard he’s worked, it’s me. He put in the time and you love to see the success.”

One of the more remarkable aspects of that vault is that it may very be the last one Barrett Weiss ever takes.

He and Gareth have both accepted scholarships to Stanford where the gymnastics prodigies will likely continue in only one sport.

“I really wish I could [continue vaulting], but I don’ think my coaches would like that,” Barrett Weiss said. “That’s part of the reason why I wanted to finish off my season strong because that was more than likely going to be it for me.

“From the beginning, this has been a very special sport to me and I’ve tried to improve every year. When you have your brother there with you, there’s always a little incentive to do better. It’s been hectic with school and gymnastics, but, honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”