Coaches

Steve Hanes began pole vaulting at age 7. He established new National AAU Jr. Olympic records and won the National Championships at age 13 and age 15. At Ottawa High School (Kansas) he won 3 State Outdoor Championships and 2 State Indoor Championships and established a new Class AAA State record at the time. Steve still holds the Ottawa High School record in the pole vault at 15’. After 35+ years of retirement from track and field, Steve began competing at the Master’s level and is nationally and internationally ranked in the pole vault, 100m, and 200m. (see www.masterrankings.com) Steve worked with a number of non-profit organizations in Austin, Texas for over a decade including serving on the Executive Board of the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas. Since 2014 Steve has been a volunteer coach at Key West High School.  Steve is listed on the USATF’s Coach’s Registry.

With a running career that started at the age of 8 years old in Spring Lake, NJ, Keara brings over 30 years of running knowledge and experience to the running community. Keara held multiple NJ State 800 titles and has competed across a wide variety of distances from the 400 to the half ironman. Most recently Keara was the assistant XC coach at Tampa Prep Academy and an Assistant Distance Specialist for the Westchase Cheetahs AAU track & field team in Tampa. Keara holds a USATF level 1 certification, a USATF youth coaching certification, FHSSA Track & Field, Cross Country, and Safe Sport Certified. With a lifelong passion for the sport, Keara hopes to bring that passion to the Florida Keys running community.

Billy Olson now lives in the Florida Keys and helps our local vaulters.  Billy is a retired American Olympic pole vaulter who held several world records, including the first 19-foot indoor pole vault.