Matt Haynes (1981-1985)As a freshman, on the first day of track practice in the Spring of 1982, Coach Robertson addressed the group asking anyone that had an interest in pole vaulting to meet over by the pole vaulting pit after warm-ups and conditioning. Kevin Forrester and Tony Quince, who were sitting on either side of Matt, said, "You have the arms for it, why don't you give it a try." Who was to know anything would ever come of it?
After setting a new Wheeler freshman pole vaulting record, and winning the Cobb JV County Meet, with Steve Brown just one jump behind, the Wheeler pole vaulting "dynasty," that started with Randy Eaton and David Swanson four years earlier, was reborn. Over the next three years, Matt broke the rest of Randy Eaton's Wheeler pole vaulting records, along with a few meet records.
As a sophomore, Matt placed 2nd in the Track State Championship meet, losing first place only based on the number of misses at a lower height. He won State his junior year, and barely missed setting a new State record at 14'2". His senior year, he missed a jump at 14'2" hitting the bar on the way up and lost to Glenn Sikes, placing 2nd at State. Matt had cleared 14'7" earlier in the season, and just missed a jump at 15'0" during a meet at Wheeler before the region relays. The final standings that year were Glenn Sikes, Matt Haynes, and Steve Brown. The Atlanta pole vaulting circle was tight in the mid-80s and Matt, Steve, and Glenn used to jump together at Emory during the off-season. Steve went on to pole vault for Auburn, and Glenn went on to Georgia. Matt was nominated as Atlanta Track Club Pole Vaulter of the Year in 1983 and 1984.
Matt participated and excelled in several other sports at Wheeler. As a sophomore, he joined the wrestling team and won the JV Cobb County title in the 167 pound weight class. He played football and lettered three years in football and all four years in track.
Matt accepted a track scholarship at Georgia Tech and set a new indoor pole vault record his freshman year. He placed in both the indoor and outdoor ACC conference meets and was a Georgia Tech letterman.
Matt and his wife Helen, who also attended Wheeler, live in Canton, Georgia.