The 6-foot-1, 172-pound senior won the national championship in the pole vault at this month's New Balance Nationals Outdoor. Duffy broke his own state record by 6 inches to claim the national title, clearing 17 feet, 1 inch with a leap that ranked No. 9 in the nation among prep competitors this spring at the time of his selection. Duffy set the previous record of 16-7 at the state meet, where he also took first place in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.10 seconds, leading the Scarlet Knights to a second-place finish as a team. His best wind-legal time in the 100 hurdles (14.24) ranked No. 77 in the nation at the time of his selection.
Duffy has maintained a 4.19 weighted GPA in the classroom. He will attend Harvard University, where he will compete in track and field, beginning this fall.
Duffy has volunteered locally at a food pantry and as a youth soccer and track coach. "Erick Duffy was phenomenal this year," said Mike Leal, head coach of Central Catholic High. "He is a fierce competitor whose versatility is one of the things that makes him so special."
