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UC San Diego

Josef Polk

Track & Field

Need for Speed: Josef Polk's Connection to Show Jumping and Track

LA JOLLA, Calif.– Senior Josef Polk of the men's track and field team has been jumping hurdles since he was in eighth grade. What sets him apart from his peers, is that on top of clearing hurdles between the running lanes of a track, he has also achieved the task on horseback.

Horseback riding dates far back in Polk family history. Polk's father's side was once one of the largest group of salespeople in the world to sell Arab horses, a popular breed throughout the 1970's and 1980's.
 
In addition, Polk's mother derives from a rural background having grown up in Wisconsin. Raised on a dairy farm, tending to horses regularly, Polk's mom eventually became an equine veterinarian. She would later pass on the family tradition and her passion for horses to her son. 
 
Polk and his family grew up in Clements, California, "a small cowboy town" as Polk referred to it, populated with about 800 to 850 people. 

Throughout high school, Polk participated in international show jumping competitions such as Thunder Bird and Spruce Meadows, located in Calgary and Vancouver, Canada.

For someone who loves dirt bikes and speed in general, it is no surprise that Polk enjoys the adrenaline rush that show jumping provides. 

"I got goosebumps the first time I did it," Polk expressed. "And once you get a taste for it, you are hooked." 
 
Nowadays, Polk is invested in contests over the summer but is adamant about academics and track being the main priority at this point in his life. 
 
Although the two sports are quite parallel regarding technique and practice, it was only a coincidence that Polk became hooked on the hurdle events in track. Nonetheless, the overlap has given him an edge on competitors. 
 
"Show jumping has given me an advantage [in track] since the mindset is very similar," said Polk. "I have an easier time comprehending terms and techniques like pacing, stride lengths, etc. It is very co-beneficial." 
 
Horseback riding is not too common across most students at UC San Diego, but what makes show jumping especially unique for Polk is the fact that his parents compete alongside. As a result, the sport has allowed him to escape from the busy life as a scholar-athlete when needed.
 
"One of the best things about riding is that it has given me a diverse mindset. It is nice to have a balance with city life (San Diego) and country life (Clements)," Polk said. "It makes me excited to go back to school, but I also look forward to coming home to de-stress on the ranch." 

Polk also acknowledged how thankful he is for the environment he was raised in. 
 
"One of the biggest lessons I've learn is how to work hard," Polk said. "It was a good way to grow up but definitely not the easiest. You are always doing something on the ranch or with a horse." 

As a scholar-athlete, keeping the balance between performing on the track and in the classroom and ensuring enough rest for the body was instilled in the Triton Athletes' Council (TAC) secretary from an early age.

"I believe I became a better person because I was exposed to such different surroundings," said Polk. 
 
The track captain is confident he will continue to pursue show jumping in the future but is focused on accomplishing specific goals during his last year as Triton. 
 
Polk currently sits on UC San Diego's all-time list in three different events: the 400 hurdles (4th/52.84), the 400 (6th/48.39) and the 4 x 400 relay (1st/3:12.37). He has been seconds away from qualifying for the national meet, but this year Polk is set on making it.

"There's no doubt in my mind that I am going to go [to Nationals]," Polk said. "And I don't want to just go, but I want to go and win."

About UC San Diego Athletics
With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country.  The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference.  UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent.  A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships.  In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.

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Players Mentioned

Josef Polk

Josef Polk

Hurdles
5' 7"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Josef Polk

Josef Polk

5' 7"
Senior
Hurdles

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