The best high school pole vaulting coach in the nation officially resides in Turlock.
On Jan. 17, at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada, Turlock High School track and field and cross country coach Bergann Hernandez was named the 2024 National High School Pole Vault Coach of the Year.
“It wasn’t even a thought in my mind,” Hernandez said. “I didn’t think it was even possible for me.”
The National High School Coach of the Year honor is voted upon by the Summit Executive Committee and presented annually to an individual who “has lifelong commitment to the pole vault and whose work has been highlighted by the student-athletes they have mentored,” the organization explained in a press release.
In the 35-year history of the event, Hernandez is the first woman to receive the award.
“The fact that I’m the first woman is so special, and even more so because nobody knew I was the first woman to win it until after the fact. So that was really cool to know that I was chosen because of my work as a coach.”
Hernandez described the honor as a “full-circle” moment, as she has been involved with the summit for over two decades, and was one of the trailblazers of local women’s pole vaulting.
A 1998 graduate of Turlock High, Hernandez’s freshman year was the first in which women across the nation were allowed to compete in the event, which was considered and remains criticized for being too dangerous. Many of the girls at the time, including Hernandez, were recruited to compete because of their backgrounds in gymnastics.
“Me and my friends were the first female pole vaulters at Turlock High School, ever, and we were not great,” Hernandez joked. “We were on the track team for other events, and we did vaulting because it was just something else to do, but it definitely lit the fire for something bigger later on.”
After two years at Modesto Junior College, Hernandez competed for Fresno State, where she began attending the summit alongside her Hall of Fame coach, Bob Fraley, a founding member of the organization and event. After her competitive career, she worked in Fresno State’s coaching development program and helped the USA Track and Field Pole Vault Development group as a member of the Summit Coach Staff. She also coached pole vaulting at Fresno Pacific University and Bullard High.
In 2015, Hernandez began serving as the pole vaulting coach for her alma mater, and the next year, was named head coach of the Bulldogs’ track and field program. Since then, she has built a powerful pole vault program that has produced four 16-foot male pole vaulters, which includes school record holder Max McFarlane (16-05), a 2023 CIF State runner-up and 2024 finalist.
"There is no one more deserving of this honor than Bergann," said USA Track and Field Men's and Women's Pole Vault National Chair, Brian Yokoyama. "She is a role model, pioneer and leader in American Pole Vaulting. Her knowledge, teaching ability and relatability to her students is demonstrated by the incredible model program she has developed at Turlock High School. We are fortunate that she and her family continue to give back to the pole vaulting community at the National Pole Vault Summit."
"It is an honor to present Bergann with the National Coach of the Year Award," added Greg Hull, Summit Director of Coaching and internationally renowned pole vault coach. "As a member of our Summit Coaching Staff, she epitomizes what a pole vault coach should be. Her pole vault knowledge, teaching ability and professionalism have been a tremendous asset to the young boys and girls who are fortunate to attend the Summit’s ‘Learn by Doing’ sessions she leads."
A leader is what many on the Turlock High campus know Hernandez as. She stepped up this year to lead the cross country program following the retirement of longtime coach JoAnn Davison, and saw the boys’ and girls’ varsity teams qualify to the state meet in the same year for the first time in school history. Beginning in Nov. of 2023, she has also been leading the football team’s strength, conditioning and speed programs.
“I’m so passionate about the development of the sport, but also the development of athletes, getting them stronger, making sure the agility is there and they’re making movements correctly, all that kind of stuff,” Hernandez said. “Success is developing athletes, not necessarily strictly a track athlete, but developing an athlete who is going to probably do lots of other sports and educating students.
“That's why I'm going to stay at the high school level, because my passion is to build athletes and to develop. This is the most developmental level of all of the sports, as it’s just before you’re going into the college and the elite and professional levels. At the high school level, I'm able to start with them from the beginning and work them through the process of being an athlete. It’s so fun and what I genuinely love to do.”
