IU seems to have struck just the right balance between established veteran performers and up-and-comers. One of those rising stars is high jumper Paul Galas.
Galas, a sophomore from Ontario, Canada, isn’t in the IU record books just yet, but after missing the Hoosier Open in December with a minor injury, he has won the high jump at the last two meets and is only getting better. IU Coach Ron Helmer said Galas is already the team’s best high jumper.
“Over time, we hope that he continues to develop to the point where he’s not just a Big Ten scorer, but hopefully a Big Ten champion and a national meet scorer,” Helmer said. “He’s got that ability, and I think he’s on that track. If he can do that, then that’s just one more area that we have a high-level athlete that’s making a contribution.”
Based on how he described himself and Helmer’s and teammate Stephen Keller’s descriptions of him, Galas is the consummate teammate. He’s hard-working, team-oriented, coachable and driven. He’s so driven, he said, that on days of meets, he likes to plan out his entire day.
“I’ll have a plan set up from the moment I wake up to the moment I compete and I’m really stuck to that plan until everything’s finished,” Galas said.
Coming from another country, the adjustment to IU was a bit tougher for Galas, but he said he feels he settled in well. He arrived a month before classes began, which gave him time to get acclimated to campus, as well as to start training.
Keller, a senior, appreciates Galas’ perfectionist mentality in practices, as well as how they push each other in practice to make each other better. In addition to Keller, Galas said he spends a lot of time with fellow high jumpers Stephen Leonard, a junior, and sophomore Rachel Mather, as well as freshman Willie Morrison and redshirt sophomore Andrew Miller of the throws squad.
“He’s definitely more of a quiet presence,” Keller said. “He’s not someone that’ll speak up. But you know he’s still there because he’s a certain character that you respect because you know that he’s a good athlete and a good guy all around.”
Galas has an easy connection for an athlete to serve as his role model. IU alum and fellow Canadian, Derek Drouin, has gone from high jumping at IU to winning gold at the World Championships. Galas said he would be ecstatic if he could even get close to that level of achievement.
Galas’ short-term goal is to make a difference for the Hoosiers at the Big Ten Championships this year. At the rate he’s performing so far, that shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. His long-term goal, he said, is to compete at nationals in high jump eventually.
“Whether it would be this year, next year, or even my senior year, that’s just somewhere I want to be before my college career is over,” Galas said.
This weekend, Galas will be competing with some teammates at the Rod McCravy Memorial in Kentucky. Most of the Hoosiers will be staying local, though, competing in the Gladstein Invitational at IU on Friday and Saturday.
