Lehigh junior Tyson Utesch vaults into social media fame

With self-promotion scattered across whiteboards and stickers on walls around campus, junior Tyson Utesch, a pole vaulter on Lehigh’s track and field team, has made a name for himself at the university and on social media. 

Behind the Instagram handle @TysonVaults are videos racking up more than 13 million views. As he wraps up his third year at Lehigh, Utesch is balancing this growing platform with athletics, academics and building his personal brand. 

Utesch was constantly surrounded by athletics growing up. With two parents who work as coaches and an early introduction to sports, he found athletics to be second nature. 

After experimenting with different sports, he discovered his true passion was for an uncommon sport — pole vaulting.

“I think you need to be a little weird to do it,” Utesch said. 

He said he quickly realized there was a lot to pole vaulting, more than just excelling athletically. As a way to initially track his progress, he said he started posting vaulting content online through his Instagram page and using it as a video journal. 

Once he had gotten into a routine of posting, he said his content became more satirical. This type of content was beginning to gain traction, to his surprise, which motivated him to do something more with it. 

What started as a “joke” then turned into a successful project with numerous viral videos — his most-viewed video sitting at 13.7 million hits — and enough traction to gain partnerships with companies such as TruFru and Zen Water. He said he’s aiming to reach 10,000 followers on the page. 

Utesch said he hopes to contribute to the growth of pole vaulting — which he sees as an entertaining sport to all viewers, experienced or not — through his content.

“Track is sort of underappreciated, which is interesting because it’s a sport that really is great for Title IX and a pillar of women’s athletics,” Utesch said. “Having it become more mainstream would be awesome.”

He said his long-term plans also include launching his own brand and bringing his board game, GO-BETWIXT! — an idea that dates back to his high school days — to life.

Utesch said during the COVID pandemic, he was desperate to find new ways to keep himself busy, especially considering all his classes were held over Zoom. By grabbing a broken Christmas ornament and a couple of clothespins and balls, he created his own board game and quickly found a way to fill his time.

After taking his board game idea to friends and family, he said he began to work out the kinks and figure out the mechanics. He said upon arriving at Lehigh, he connected with the Baker Institute, a program which helps students turn their ideas into marketable products, to further develop his game. 

After pitching to a board within the Baker Institute, Utesch said he got to work with a team to bring his creative ambitions and GO-BETWIXT! to the shelves. Now on its third prototype with more than two years of market research, he said the game is nearing its official launch.

Utesch said his overarching goal is for people to have fun with it. Similar to his Instagram videos, he wants to be able to have a lasting impression on his consumers — for them to make memories and involve themselves in a new experience. 

Senior Gideon Coprivnicar, a multi-event track athlete and Utesch’s roommate and teammate, said Utesch has a clear passion for the board game. 

“Today I woke up and asked if he wanted to go to the sauna then go to lunch, but he couldn’t, because he’s got a list of things to do for GO-BETWIXT!,” he said. “He’s really committed to it. Almost all the freetime he has is (spent) scheming ways to make it big and sell it to a bigger company.” 

Coprivnicar also said Utesch’s demeanor is an asset to the track and field team.  

“As far as athletic achievements go, he’s kind of a glue guy on the team,” Coprivnicar said. “He’s easily one of the most liked and influential people on the team and really does a good job helping the pole vault event group as a whole.” 

Antigoni Papadimitriou, a professor in the department of management in the College of Business, said she’s also witnessed Utesch’ positive demeanor. 

She said through an academic trip to Greece they both attended, she learned more about Utesch and got to see his creative mind in action. 

“(He’s) always well-prepared, detail-oriented and deeply engaged,” Papadimitriou said.

Utesch said his determination and various ventures are rooted in his time management and in his Christianity.

He said since he was 8, he’s had a New Year’s resolution to waste less time, and he still sticks to it today. 

For Utesch, faith is both a personal endeavor and a way to build connections. He said when he meets new teammates who share his religious beliefs, he makes an effort to support them, often inviting them to church to help foster a sense of belonging at Lehigh. 

“I’m very blessed, and I’m a Christian, so I attribute a lot of that as well,” he said.

From the support of his teammates, his faith and his strong network at Lehigh, Utesch said he strives to make waves in the world of athletics, board games and broadcasting.