Manson family values

Siblings take track to new heights

Manson+family+values

Climbing fourteeners, venturing out into the middle of nowhere, and finding lakes while being surrounded by the beautiful Colorado trees. The Manson family is not only connected by blood, but also by their deep love for athletics and the outdoors.
“On one of our hikes, we found this big lake that was surrounded by fourteeners and other mountains,” Mia Manson ‘20 said. “It was so pretty. We spent a few days there camping under the stars, and it was really nice.” Being such an athletic family, the Mansons never falter when finding active and fun things to do as a family.
Max Manson ‘19 and his sister, Mia, reign in elite status among Monarch’s athletic community, but it’s their family bond that makes them so special.
Max and Mia’s parents were stellar athletes and their kids have been participating in track camps since they were young. Even as youthful as they were, the Manson kids loved to be active.
“We had our hands full with Max and Mia, as they were two pretty active kids,” their mom Amy Manson said. “Because they loved to literally climb the walls, we’d play the ‘sticker game’ before bedtime. We would place stickers on the fire alarm, walls or ceiling of their room, and they would climb the door jams and reach and twist and hang and jump from them.”
This love to be active started in their childhood and continued throughout their teenage years onto the track.
“I’ve been around it my whole life,” Max said. “My dad was a pole vaulter and my mom was a distance runner, so, I’ve really been around it since I was born.”
While there is no pressure for Max and Mia to be athletic, it is something that both of them love and are very talented in. “I think that’s why my brother and I love it so much and have had success with sports,” Mia said. “It was our choice, and we were not pressured into it.”
Being around sports for a large portion of their lives resulted in big accomplishments for them both. Pole vaulting has been a legacy for their family. Their dad set the high school state record for pole vaulting in 1986. It stood until Max broke the 17-3 record by clearing the 17-3.5 in 2018.
“The biggest accomplishment for me was beating my dad’s state record last year at the state meet,” Max said. “He had held it for 32 years and had coached a lot of kids that were trying to beat the record. It was a really special moment to be able to do that last year. It was a really special moment to be able to beat his record.”
Mia is known for being an extremely fast runner and has achieved so much at track and field meets. “Freshman year, I won nationals and set the freshman national record, and I’ve qualified for New Balance Nationals, which is the biggest meet that is really hard to qualify for because I was a freshman,” she said.
The times that they spent running and jumping around as kids helped them develop certain skills that further aided them in their current athleticism. “A little gymnastics and rock climbing was fun, and they got strong doing these,” their father Pat Manson said. “It turned out that the mix of activities was great for pole vaulting.”
Their parents also have a huge part in coaching Max and Mia, so they don’t have to look too far for athletic advice and support.
“When we go on our big trips to meets, it’s just that they’re my parents and they’re also my coaches, which is fun,” Mia said. “And, of course, they both know what they’re talking about because they’re also athletes.”
The family bond passes from sibling to sibling at meets and practice, as well. “Sometimes my brother helps coach me,” Mia said. “It’s really great having my brother there because he knows what I’m working on and what I need.”
Next year, Max will continue to pole vault for the Stanford University. Mia has been in contact with college coaches for her future in running track.
“Even doing it after college would be amazing,” she said. “I would still have a normal job, as well, but I would like to be able to travel the world either pole vaulting or running track.”
No matter what, they both continue to push to become their best.

They did what?:

Max:

1. Won New Balance National Championship
2. Has climbed every fourteener in Colorado
3. Broke his dad’s state pole vault record of 17 feet, 3 inches

Mia:

1. Won two rock climbing championships
2. Set the freshman national record for pole vaulting
3. Won the Junior Olympics in pole vault