Josh Leffingwell excels at more than just the pole vault.

He’s quite a salesman, too.

Thanks to his spreading the good word about East Lyme High School’s pole vault program, the ranks of the team's aerial artists are growing.

“He’s just a very enthusiastic young athlete that has boundless energy,” East Lyme coach Steve Hargis said. “He’s singlehandedly been responsible for recruiting and really acting as an ambassador for the sport and event in school. We’ve gone from a couple to seven or eight guys now.”

Who better to sell your program than a Class M champion blessed with a passion for the sport and an outgoing personality?

Leffingwell’s success during the winter season earned him The Day’s 2015 All-Area Boys' Indoor Track & Field Athlete of the Year honors. He captured the Eastern Connecticut Conference pole vault title, clearing 13 feet, and also placed second in the 55 hurdles while helping the Vikings win the team title. He won the Class M state championship with a vault of 12-6.

The junior's pole vault skills have evolved to the point that he’s hoping to compete on the Division I level in college. He's made a total commitment to the sport.

“I used to not take it very seriously,” Leffingwell said. “Now that I’m actually doing something with it, I feel like I’m really focused on it and it actually matters to me now. ... It’s still a fun thing and I still love it, but now it’s important and it’s serious at the same time.”

Not even a bad fall could discourage Leffingwell. During his sophomore outdoor season, he fell backward, landing hard on the track during practice. He slightly injured his ankle but brushed it off.

“It was too late for me to quit,” Leffingwell said. “I was already hooked on it.”

He can thank his grandmother for finding his way to the track team. During his freshman year, his grandmother suggested that Leffingwell take the winter off from playing basketball for a break between soccer and baseball seasons.

That changed when a friend invited him to a track team meeting and convinced him to compete during the indoor season. Then he remembered what his grandmother said.

“I was like, 'Oh, I probably shouldn’t have done that,'" Leffingwell said. “But I did it anyway.”

He was steered toward the pole vault, but his love affair with the sport didn’t blossom right way. It took time for Leffingwell to feel comfortable.

“I never thought I was going to be actually that good at it,” Leffingwell said. “My freshman year, I was probably the worst one on the team. But my teammates were always good competition and pushed me.”

Senior Andrew Peitzsch has helped push Leffingwell to be his best. They’ve developed a close bond during their numerous hours perfecting their technique. Leffingwell came into the Class M indoor meet as the top seed. Peitzsch — the Class MM champion last outdoor season — finished close behind him, tying for third.

“I knew I had to step it up if I wanted to compete against him,” said Leffingwell, who went on to take fifth in the State Open.

East Lyme will be strong again in the pole vault during the outdoor season with Leffingwell, Peitzsch and junior Ben Wojcik, who placed fifth in the Class M indoor competition, leading the way.

Leffingwell is starting to think about his future. He’s interested in majoring in engineering in college and plans on visiting Lehigh University.

First, he still has a lot more to accomplish in high school. A well-rounded athlete, he’s a good fit for the decathlon. So he’ll be learning some new events this spring.

“He’s having a great time,” Hargis said. “He’s really just enjoying the sport, camaraderie and what they’re building in their event world and he’s quite proud of it. And he’s a charismatic young man. He’s really taken to track and field.”

g.keefe@theday.com

Twitter: @GavinKeefe 

The Day’s 2015 All-Area Boys’ Indoor Track & Field Team

Player of the Year — Josh Leffingwell (East Lyme)

55-meter dash — Andris Vital (NFA)

300 — Matt Prue (Stonington)

600 — Juan Hernandez (New London)

1,000, 1,600 — Connor Gralton (NFA)

3,200 — Bryce Hedman (Ledyard)

55 hurdles — Greg Atkinson (East Lyme)

4x200 relay — Stonington (Matt Prue, Jack Riordan, Conor Feeney, Ulysses Sepulveda)

4x400 relay — East Lyme (Chris Apicelli, Evan Tryon, Greg Atkinson, Brandon Dinsmore)

4x800 relay — Old Lyme (Ross Golebiewski, William DeMott, Thomas Roth, James Kolb)

Sprint medley relay — East Lyme (Chris Apicelli, Declan Constable, Jared Ayers, Brandon Dinsmore)

High jump — Anthony Jordan (Waterford)

Long jump — Jelani Lucas (New London)

Shot put — Larenz Simpkins (East Lyme)

Utility — Michael Lopes (Ledyard), Zach Rand (Grasso Tech)