march 2013 vaulter magazine

march 2013 issuewww.thevaultermag.com

2013 the vaulter magazine 1

VAULTERMAGAZINE

ThE VAULTER mAgAzinE 20132



contents

FRoM tHe eDItoR 4

DeseRt VIsta HIgH scHool 6

WestFIelD state UnIVeRsIty 12

VIRgInIa tecH: tURnIng oUt cHaMpIons 16

pole VaUlt In-DooR statIstIcs FebRUaRy 2013 16

VaUlteR MagazIne ReacHes tHe sUMMIt 34

HoW to jUMp on bIggeR poles 38

16

6

34

Photo by Dave Knachel

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We are delighted to treat our motivated “high” jumping pole vaulters this month. Masters vault-er Doug ‘Bubba’ Sparks has put together some tips for achieving those bigger jumps. He is pass-ing on the advice that has kept him going strong and made him what he is. We are fortunate to have his input and we know you, our readers, will get a lot of solid information to improve your vaulting from this informative piece. Don’t miss this one!

This month we also have two universities fea-tured that will impress any college-aged vaulter or parent of an athlete. Between the athletics and academics of these two schools there is much valuable information in both articles.

Westfield State University is one school fea-

FRoM tHe eDItoRtured in this issue. There is some great informa-tion in this article about this school full of ath-letes. Those that are looking for a place to go for their higher education will find this a useful read. Coach Weber is turning out some height with his vault team and they have a solid program going.

2012 was a great year for the vaulters of Vir-ginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (also known as Virginia Tech) and 2013 looks to be even better. This is why we had to also include this all-inclusive school in this issue. Not only is their vault team outstanding and flourishing, but the academic opportunities for their athletes are amazing as well. We hope you enjoy reading about these schools and with these articles we can help with your academic choices or feed your inner college sports fanatic.

The high school crowd is not forgot-ten this month, which is proven by our fea-turing of Desert Vis-ta High School. The popularity of pole vaulting in this Ari-zona community is very refreshing and fun to read about. You will not believe how many vaulters are try-ing out for the team at Desert Vista and what they are accomplish-ing. Especially for the

Daichi Sawano



younger vaulters, this article is inspirational and a must read.

And we could not leave out the fun we, the Vaulter Magazine staff, had this January at the UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit. We had so much fun seeing so many big names in pole vaulting attending the Summit and interacting with the crowd. There was much knowledge and advice being shared as well as extreme competi-tion between elite vaulters. A great time was had by all and we shared our experience in this ar-ticle we wrote specifically to tell you what went on. We hope you enjoy reading the details and are inspired to attend because it’s really worth it.

One year has passed since the start of the mag-azine and we have high hopes for the following years to come. We would like to thank each and every one of the readers and followers that have help this team launch and promote this maga-zine!

So please enjoy the reading, and stay warm for the remainder of this winter. Heading into spring we will be bringing more excitement from the world of pole vaulting for your reading entertain-ment. Thank you and stay tuned.

Doug Bouma – Editor – Vaulter Magazine

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Our featured high school this month is Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Arizona- a school which has no lack of community support or talent. Pole Vault Coach Jeff Guy says, “Pole vaulting is very popular at Desert Vista. We have 300 athletes come out for track and field and we average over 40 Pole Vaulters each year. The Desert Vista boys’ track and field team was the National Champions in 2007, 2008 and 2009.”

Coach Guy is not alone with the Desert Vista vaulters. “We have 3 pole vault coaches including myself,” he says. Having 3 pole vault coaches is a main reason Coach Guy believes their vault program

Desert Vista High school coaches strive to Make ath-letes better than themselvesBy: Michelle Walthall

stands out. When asked about what makes them different he replies, “Having 3 coaches is self-explanatory. Shea Kearney, Grigore Key and I strive to make each athlete better than ourselves.” The results show that these words are spoken very true from Coach Guy (as we

will prove below). He and the rest of the staff at Desert Vista really do want their athletes to succeed beyond their own accomplishments and it is very impressive.

And he certainly has the experience to reach the goal

Vanessa Davis

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Vista.” And, according to Coach Guy, Desert Vista High School is very supportive of the athletes who Vault for the home of the Thunder.

Along with talented coaching and parent help, equipment goes a long way to creating a successful pole vault team as well. “We have 2 pole vault pits and 4 runways available,” says Coach Guy. “We incorporate gymnastics- including high bar, rings, rope, parallel bars and trapeze bar. We do a lot of resistance band and med ball work.”

The Thunder vaulters take advantage of every training

opportunity as well. They waste no time perfecting their jumps. Taking advantage of training opportunities includes attending camps and clubs in the summer and off-season. “I have a pole vault club called Ultimate High TC which averages about 30 vaulters in the off-season,” says Coach Guy. “We are part of Kiss the Sky Pole Vault Camp held in the summer outside of Payson, Arizona. It is a pole vault emersion camp that includes technique, training, psychology, nutrition and fun. Check out Skyathletics.com.”

Talented vaulters to stand out in the group of Thunder vaulters are Scott Marshall and

Vanessa Davis- the highest PR athletes on the team. Coach Guys says, “Scott Marshall vaulted 15’6” last year as a junior and Vanessa Davis broke the freshmen state record last year at 12’0.25”.” Those are definitely impressive heights.

Excitement has not been in short supply for Coach Guy and his vaulters over the years either. Scott Marshall and Vanessa Davis are in good company with other high vaulters taught by Coach Guy. He says, “In 2010 Desert Vista had 5 girls clear 12’1” or higher in the same year. Atascadero, California had 3 girls clear 12’, but no other high school

Vanessa Davis



before this had so many.” We also learned of even more amazing heights gained by the Thunder vaulters. Coach Guy also let us know of some other very impressive vaulters he has had on his team: “Shaylah Simpson- 13’4”, Arizona State University (state record), Heather Arseneau- 13’, Arizona State University, Courtney Reginato- 12’3”, UCLA, Emily Heisler- 12’1”, University of New Mexico, Kylie Harmon- 12’1”, University of Oregon.” And the excitement does not stop there. “We had 6 girls place in the top 8 in the pole vault,” says Coach Guy. “Since then Arizona has made it a rule that each school can only have 4

entries in each event regardless of performance. I also have coached 20 high school boys over 15’.”

One key philosophy of the Desert Vista vault team may be at the core of their success. They don’t necessarily see putting winning as a top priority when training. Coach Guys tells us, “We never set a goal to be state champions etc. We focus on becoming better than ourselves and improving in all areas. Placing high is a byproduct of our program.”

On the subject of team philosophy, and lessons learned through training,

Coach Guy adds, “All of our vaulters experience the lessons of life. They reflect the relationships between meaningful preparation, conceptualization, work and rest, satisfaction and luck, the law of averages, educated guesses and conquering fears and confronting problems and making adjustments.”

It is not only about titles with

Desert Vista High School, it is about setting goals for yourself as an athlete and reaching those goals- then letting that success shine through with height that excels over the competition. Well done Desert Vista.

Vanessa Davis

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Left to right: Aliya Simpson, Vanessa Davis, Alexis Swaine, Sophia Daniels, Sierra Drake, Shannon Fritz, Coach Jeff Guy, Jake Alme, Justin Tobin, Scott Marshall, Daniel Reardon, Austin Davis

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Westfield state University

Westfield State Universi-ty (also known as “Westfield” or “Westfield State”) is a com-prehensive, coeducational, four-year public university in Westfield, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1838 by noted educator and social reformer Horace Mann as the first pub-lic co-educational college in America without barrier to race, gender and economic class. Westfield State University is the most residential of pub-lic institutions of higher learn-ing in Massachusetts. West-field State is located 45 miles (72 km) from Hartford, and 90 miles (140 km) from Boston, both of which have internation-al airports. The nearest bus and train station is in Springfield. There are 13 other colleges and universities in proximity to the campus.

Westfield State University Athletics

10% of student body plays a varsity sport

2500 plus students participate in intramural sports

21 varsity teams compete in Division III of the NCAA

Westfield competes in the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference. Schools compete for The Howard C. Smith Cup is named in honor of former Massachusetts State College Trustee Smith, who in 1970, urged the athletic directors of the eight State Colleges to hold a series of meetings to discuss the possibility of forming an intercollegiate conference. In June of 1971, Smith’s dream became a reality as an affirmative agreement was reached and the MASCAC was created. Westfield 10 smith cups four smith cups in the last 6 years

Westfield varsity sport teams have captured multiple conference championships in football, men’s soccer, and women’s soccer, field hockey, cross country, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, and track and field. Westfield has been a regular participant in NCAA and ECAC postseason tournaments.

Tom Gauger

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Women’s Pole Vault Crew

Amy Auclair -Jr. PR 3.25m, School Record holder 5 time conference Champion and record holder. Michelle Caprille – So. RP 2.58m Brenda McCarthy –Fr PR NA

Westfield Pole Vault History

Past Record School Holder’sMen’s Tim Tierney 4.32m. Set in 1978 Women‘s Kelsey Teal 2.70m set in 2007. Three time conference champ. “first woman Vaulter for Westfield State.”

Amy Auclair

Coach Weber :

Jason Weber started coaching at Westfield State University in 2005 with the sprinters and hurdlers, and he now coaches the sprinters and his specialty – the pole vault. Weber has coached men’s Tom Gauger and women’s Amy Auclair to school records in the pole vault with jumps of 5.01m (16-5 ½) and 3.25m (10-8), respectively. He also has coached women’s indoor and outdoor pole vault champions for 10 consecutive

seasons, and the conference record holders in both the men and women’s indoor and outdoor championships. Weber coached All American Tom Gauger in the pole vault (2012)

Weber also coaches Patriot Pole Vault and a founding member of Patriot Pole Vault West.



Amy Auclair

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If this year is anything like last year, 2013 looks hopeful for the vaulters of Virginia Tech, formally known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in Blacksburg, Virginia. “In 2012 VT women swept the Indoor ACC Championships with jumps of 14’1¾”, 14’1¾” and 13’5¾”, and VT men swept the Outdoor ACC Championships with jumps of 17’8½”, 17’4½” and 17’4½”,” says Assistant Track & Field Coach, Bob Phillips. Doing this well is nothing new for the VT Hokies. Coach Phillips also tells us, “We have competed in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the last eight years. During that time Hokie vaulters have earned nineteen gold, twelve silver, and nine bronze medals and scored almost 500 points at Conference Championship.”

Virginia tech: turning out cham-pions in Vaulting and in lifeBy: Michelle Walthall

There is no shortage of talent on the Virginia Tech vault team. Coach Phillips gave us the scoop on his top vaulters this year: “Our senior leader on the women’s side is Leigh Allin, who will be returning next year for graduate school, with one year of eligibility remaining. Also leading the women this year is Martina Schultze, who was the ACC Outdoor Champion last year and finished 7th at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Martina has a personal best of 14’5”. On the men’s side, junior Stephan Munz (17’10”) and sophomore Chris Uhle (16’ 9”) are our top returnees.”

“We generally carry about ten vaulters (5 men and 5 women),” Coach Phillips continues. “…although this year we have four men and six women. We do a lot of gymnastics training in addition to our track and weight room workouts. We pride ourselves on vaulter development. In just the last eight years VT has qualified a vaulter to the NCAA National Championships thirty-six times where they have earned twenty-two All-American honors.”

Of course with the talent comes great coaching as well. The vaulters at

Coach Robert Phillips



Martina Schultze

VT are fortunate to learn from a great team of coaches. Coach Phillips tells us, “We have six track coaches at VT, plus several volunteer coaches. In addition to me, we have three volunteer coaches assisting this year with the pole vault. Joe Davis, who is also working

with our decathletes, is a two-time NCAA All-American with a 17’8.5” personal best. Hunter Hall is a five-time All-American with a 17’9.25” personal best. Kelly Phillips is a two-time All-American with a 14’1.25” personal best.”

Coach Phillips himself has many years of experience, and is an alumnus of Virginia Tech who is definitely enriching the vaulting program. He says this of his coaching experience and career: “I vaulted for Virginia Tech from 1977 to 1981. I jumped 5.27 in college, but my

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PR is 5.50 from 1984. I have been the vault coach at Virginia Tech since I graduated. I love the event and enjoy speaking and teaching about the vault. After working camps for many years, this past year I directed VT’s first pole vault camp.”

Other components that add to the success of the Hokie vaulters are the facilities and the training time, which Coach Phillips is very happy with. “The facilities at Virginia Tech are outstanding,” he says. “…with both a 200m banked indoor track and a 400m outdoor track. We have pits indoors and out so we can decide each day where we want to jump. Additional facilities and equipment include a gymnastics room, weight room, cardio room and over a hundred poles…We start each year with a lot of basic conditioning, but also start right away with optional vault sessions so that we can make technical changes in time for the indoor season. In the off-season the vaulters here are particularly fond of rock climbing.”

In addition to their training, the VT vaulting team has a lot of fun as well. “Cook outs, movie night, camping, rock climbing and hiking (OK… and shopping, the girls tell me) are the main things that the vaulters here do together outside of practice to

have fun,” Coach Phillips says. “There are some beautiful trails in the area and many thousands of acres of national forest. But whether it is an obstacle course in the gymnastics room, the pole vault then football catch or the spectacle that is our annual

alumni vault we try to have fun with the event.”

An extensive list of successful Virginia Tech alumni is further proof that their vaulting program is one of the best. While talking with us Coach

Indoor Track Facility



Phillips had a hard time leaving anything out when talking about his former vaulters and their accomplishments. This is what he had to say: “We have had many exceptional graduates at VT so it is hard to talk about only some. Brian

Mondschein was a three-time All-American and NCAA silver medalist from Pennsylvania who jumped 18’2” as a senior and went on to jump 18’6” as a post collegiate. Brian earned an undergraduate and master’s degree in Mechanical

Engineering from Virginia Tech and is currently living and training in Jonesboro, Arkansas.”

“…Jenia Olhovsky earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in Economics. Jenia was a seven-time All-American and twice NCAA silver medalist. Jenia has a personal best of 18’3” which is our current indoor school record. He is now living back in his native Israel.”

“…Hunter Hall was a five time All-American who graduated with a degree in communications with a specialization in videography. He works in that area now and is also helping coach this year.”

“…Joe Samaniuk earned a bachelor and master’s degree in chemical engineering while at VT and was an NCAA Academic All-American. He improved from 14’ to 17’5” while an undergraduate and went on to jump 17’11 ¾” while in graduate school. He completed his Ph.D. at Wisconsin this past May and spent the next several months walking the entire Appalachian Trail. He leaves this month for Belgium where he has accepted a post-doctorate position.”

“…Adam Bingaman

transferred to Virginia Tech from Syracuse but completed



for three years where he improved from 15’6” to 18’2”, won a junior national championship and was an NCAA All-American and bronze medalist. Brian went on to win an NCAA championship at Texas. His bachelor’s degree was in chemical engineering and he worked in the semi-conductor area for IBM and Micron Systems before accepting a job this past year as jumps and sprints coach at the college of William and Mary.”

With all the success and amazing pole vaulting alumi, it is no wonder Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has made a name for itself. However, another great thing about Coach Phillips, and the VT pole vault program,

is that they have a broad outlook when choosing vaulters. It’s not just about athletics for Virginia Tech; it’s about the whole athlete and their future. Coach Phillips says, “We are interested in anyone that is a good athlete. How high you have jumped is not the most important factor. After graduating from Virginia Tech, our vaulters have gone on to many careers: lawyer, doctor, veterinarian, engineer, marine biologist, coach and many others. Quite a few have gone on to graduate school, with most of those continuing to pole vault while working on their graduate degrees.” It looks like this school, along with Coach Phillips and his team, has the right idea. Keep up the good work Hokies.

Stephan Munz

Leigh Allin

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pole Vault In-Door statistics February 2013

1. Daven Murphree 17’ 0.00 12 TX Big Sandy Harmony Winter Polestice Meet Sat, Jan 26

2. *Grant Sisserson 16’ 9.00 12 AZ Horizon Arizona Indoor Classic USATF West Zone Indoor Championship Sun, Feb 17

3. Dylan Duvio 16’ 7.00 12 LA John Curtis Christian LHSAA Last Chance Qualifier Sat, Feb 94. Devin King 16’ 6.50 11 LA J Sumner LSU HS Indoor Classic Sat, Jan 55. Nick Meyer 16’ 6.00 12 KS Bishop Carroll Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 196. Matt Rowland 16’ 4.50 12 OH Bellevue Akron “Jerome Fields” Qualifier Sat, Jan 197. Tim Moses 16’ 2.00 12 PA Palmyra VaultWorX Bonus Meet Sat, Jan 58. Cole Walsh 16’ 0.75 12 AZ Brophy College Prep Mountain T’s Invitational Sat, Feb 29. Tray Oates 16’ 0.75 12 GA Allatoona Hilton Garden Invitational Sat, Feb 2

10. Caleb Bertrand 16’ 0.00 12 LA Elton LSU HS Indoor Classic Sat, Jan 511. Craig Hunter 16’ 0.00 12 NJ Robbinsville Mercer County Championship Sat, Jan 2612. Cayman Ellis 16’ 0.00 12 FL St Petersburg Jimmy Carnes Indoor Track and Field Meet Sat, Jan 2613. Matt Wilson 15’ 10.00 12 LA Vermilion Catholic Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 1914. Scott Marshall 15’ 10.00 12 AZ Desert Vista Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 1915. Barrett Poth 15’ 10.00 11 TX Klein Oak Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 1916. Steven Cahoy 15’ 10.00 12 NE Grand Island Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 1917. Nathan Dunford 15’ 9.00 12 WA Mt. Baker UW Open Meet Sun, Feb 1018. Justin Farrenkopf 15’ 7.00 12 NY Ellenville Central Andy Wasnick Holiday Classic Sun, Dec 3019. Trey Wyatt 15’ 7.00 12 AR Vilonia AVC Jack Frost Meet Sat, Jan 520. Kyle Wyatt 15’ 7.00 12 AR Vilonia AVC Jack Frost Meet Sat, Jan 521. Will Hooper 15’ 7.00 11 AZ Moon Valley Mountain T’s Invitational Sat, Feb 222. Ethan Smith 15’ 6.00 12 NC Cedar Ridge NC Runners Elite Holiday Invitational Sat, Dec 2923 Cameron Robichaux 15’ 6.00 12 LA St Paul – Boys LHSAA HS Qualifier Sat, Jan 2624. Dakota Breaux 15’ 6.00 12 TX Glenda Dawson McNeese Indoor II Sat, Feb 225. Luke Winder 15’ 6.00 11 IL Plainfield (Central) Naperville Central Pole Vault Invitational Sat, Feb 226. Hunter Carlton 15’ 6.00 11 TX Mansfield Legacy Aledo Indoor PV Invitational II Sat, Feb 927. Noah Gilfillan 15’ 6.00 11 TX Corsicana Aledo Indoor PV Invitational II Sat, Feb 928. Zach Reed 15’ 6.00 12 MO Festus Big River Running Championship Sat, Feb 1629. Adam Perkins 15’ 6.00 12 KS St James Academy Big River Running Championship Sat, Feb 1630. Harrison Williams 15’ 6.00 11 TN Memphis University Uni of Kentucky HS Invitational Sat, Feb 1631. Tyler Craig 15’ 5.75 - GA Pickens TFCUSA National Championship Mon, Feb 1132. Todd Uckermark 15’ 4.00 11 NY Warwick Valley Hispanic Games Sat, Jan 533. Ben Gaylord 15’ 4.00 12 CA Harvard-Westlake Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 1934. Michael Rovzar 15’ 4.00 12 CA Mater Dei Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 1935. Grant Krieger 15’ 4.00 12 MN The Blake Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 19

High School Boys Top 50



Jack Whitt

36. Nick Eckett 15’ 4.00 12 NJ Jackson Liberty The Varsity Classic Mon, Feb 437. Connor McLean 15’ 3.00 11 OR Clackamas UW Open Meet Sun, Feb 10

38. Dylan Kole 15’ 1.00 12 MI Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills Best Indoor Season Marks Sat, Dec 1

39. Justin Estala 15’ 1.00 12 AR Paris Arkansas State Championships Sat, Feb 240. Tyler Ginger 15’ 1.00 12 IL Stanford (Olympia) Northern Indoor Track Classic Sun, Feb 10

41. Chad Weaver 15’ 1.00 12 IL New Lenox (Providence Catholic) Northern Indoor Track Classic Sun, Feb 10

42. Adam Coulon 15’ 1.00 - IL Downs (Tri-Valley) Northern Indoor Track Classic Sun, Feb 1043. Max Cosculluela 15’ 0.00 12 TX The Woodlands (Conroe) Lions Relays — Indoor Pole Vault Sat, Dec 144. Noah Zorsky 15’ 0.00 12 TX Amarillo Tascosa Christmas Classic Indoor Track & Field Meet Sat, Dec 1545. Nicholas Meadors 15’ 0.00 11 TX Gatesville Expo Explosion IV Sat, Dec 2946. Gavin Gautreaux 15’ 0.00 11 LA Catholic (New Iberia) LSU HS Indoor Classic Sat, Jan 547. Jordan Pacheco 15’ 0.00 12 NJ Morris Hills Morris County Relay Championships Mon, Jan 748. Tommy Dial 15’ 0.00 10 OK Jenks Arkansas HS Invitational Sat, Jan 1249. Alex Miles 15’ 0.00 12 AR Rogers Heritage Big River Running Series #2 Sat, Jan 1950. Benji Brokenshire 15’ 0.00 11 TX Springtown Aledo Indoor Invitational Pole Vault Sat, Jan 19



Morgann LeLeux

40. *Kami Berryhill 12’ 0.00 11 TX Midland Christian Wes Kittley HS Invitational Sat, Feb 1641. *Tori Weeks 12’ 0.00 10 AR Cabot USATF Arkansas Indoor PV Championships Sat, Feb 1642. *Addy Neibauer 12’ 0.00 12 CO Greeley Central Air Force HS Indoor Open Sun, Feb 1743. Emily Gunderson 11’ 11.75 11 TX Barbers Hill Carl Lewis Indoor Invitational Sat, Jan 1944. Meg Simon 11’ 10.00 - LA North Vermilion Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 19

45. Sara Kathryn Stevens 11’ 9.75 11 TX New Braunfels Texas Tech Red Raider Open Sat, Feb 2

46. Kennedy Shank 11’ 9.00 10 PA Northern York (Dillsburg) Kutztown Maroon & Gold Invitational Fri, Jan 18

47. Lexi Masterson 11’ 9.00 12 PA Hempfield Area (7) Spartans SP/PV Competition Wed, Feb 648. *Megan McCabe 11’ 9.00 11 CO Cherry Creek Simplot Games Sat, Feb 1649. Morgan Johnson 11’ 8.00 12 TX Plano East Senior Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 1950. Natasha Black 11’ 8.00 12 NV McQueen Pole Vault Summit Sat, Jan 19

Reference http://www.athletic.net/

VAULTERMAGAZINE


College Boys Top 50

1 Whitt, Jack SR-4 Oral Roberts 18’ 4.75” 5.61m Southland Conference Championship 02/22/13 2 Woepse, Michael SO-2 UCLA 18’ 4.5” 5.60m New Mexico Don Kirby Elite 02/08/13 3 Barber, Shawn FR-1 Akron 18’ 4.5” 5.60m EMU-Akron-Buffalo 01/11/13 4 Weirich, Victor SR-4 BYU 18’ 2” 5.54m Air Force Team Challenge 02/09/13 4 Simmons, Cale SR-4 Air Force 18’ 2” 5.54m Air Force Team Challenge 02/09/13 6 Kendricks, Sam SO-2 Mississippi 18’ 1.75” 5.53m UAB Blazer Indoor Invitational 01/10/13

7 Blankenship, Jake FR-1 Tennessee 18’ 1” 5.51m Samford Multi and Invitational Indoor Track & Field Meet 02/08/13

8 Hinch, Derick JR-3 Arizona State 18’ 0.5” 5.50m 2013 Mountain T’s Open and Invite 02/01/13 9 Ross, Colton SO-2 Stephen F. Austin 17’ 10.5” 5.45m Texas A&M 12 Team Invitational 01/12/13

10 Uhle, Joey SO-2 Air Force 17’ 9.75” 5.43m Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Championships 02/21/13

11 Wesley, Joe SR-4 Akron 17’ 9.25” 5.42m Zips Invitational 02/15/13 12 Meyers, Kyal JR-3 Texas Tech 17’ 9” 5.41m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13 12 Munz, Stephan JR-3 Virginia Tech 17’ 9” 5.41m ACC Championships 02/21/13 12 Irwin, Andrew SO-2 Arkansas 17’ 9” 5.41m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13 12 Lazas, Kevin JR-3 Arkansas 17’ 9” 5.41m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13 12 Gehrke, Dustin SR-4 Oral Roberts 17’ 9” 5.41m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13 17 Viken, Michael JR-3 Eastern Illinois 17’ 8.5” 5.40m EIU John Craft Invite 01/19/13 17 Houston, Scott SR-4 Indiana 17’ 8.5” 5.40m Notre Dame Meyo Invitational 2013 02/01/13 17 Bane, Matthew SO-2 Illinois 17’ 8.5” 5.40m Indiana University Relays 01/25/13 17 Wait, Kyle JR-3 Kansas State 17’ 8.5” 5.40m Wildcat Invite 01/19/13 17 Brannon, Chase JR-3 Tennessee 17’ 8.5” 5.40m 2013 Armory Collegiate Invitational 02/01/13 22 Babits, Max JR-3 Eastern Michigan 17’ 5.75” 5.33m Mid-American Conference Championship 02/22/13 23 Bell, Dylan FR-1 Air Force 17’ 5.5” 5.32m Air Force Team Challenge 02/09/13 24 Bishop, Alex SR-4 Kansas 17’ 5” 5.31m 2013 Jayhawk Classic 01/25/13 24 Duplantis, Andreas SO-2 LSU 17’ 5” 5.31m Razorback Invitational 01/25/13 24 Amezquita, Justin JR-3 Duke 17’ 5” 5.31m ACC Championships 02/21/13 24 LaHaye, Andrew SR-4 Florida State 17’ 5” 5.31m ACC Championships 02/21/13 24 Unterberger, Aaron SR-4 Georgia Tech 17’ 5” 5.31m ACC Championships 02/21/13 24 Wolfle, Chase FR-1 Texas A&M 17’ 5” 5.31m Texas A&M Invitational 02/09/13 30 Klein, Cody JR-3 Illinois 17’ 4.5” 5.30m Illini Open 01/12/13 30 Lupton, Greg SO-2 Kansas 17’ 4.5” 5.30m 2013 Armory Collegiate Invitational 02/01/13 30 Pillow, Chris SO-2 Rice 17’ 4.5” 5.30m Howie Ryan Indoor Invitational & Multi’s 01/25/13 30 Weiler, Nico SR-4 Harvard 17’ 4.5” 5.30m 2013 Armory Collegiate Invitational 02/01/13 34 Reinecke, Thomas SR-4 LSU 17’ 3.5” 5.27m LSU Twilight 02/15/13 35 Johnson, Jaora JR-3 LSU 17’ 3” 5.26m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13 35 Watson, Reese FR-1 Texas 17’ 3” 5.26m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13 35 Duggan, Cory JR-3 Connecticut 17’ 3” 5.26m NEICAAA Indoor Track & Field Championships 02/22/13

38 Pflibsen, Logan JR-3 New Mexico 17’ 2.75” 5.25m Mountain West Indoor Track & Field Championships 02/21/13



38 Cato, Japheth JR-3 Wisconsin 17’ 2.75” 5.25m 2013 Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational 02/01/13 38 Crenshaw, Austin JR-3 Memphis 17’ 2.75” 5.25m BSC Panther Indoor Icebreaker 12/01/12 41 Szmanda, Jack SR-4 Minnesota 17’ 1.75” 5.23m Snowshoe Open 02/15/13 41 Ballew, Kyle JR-3 South Dakota 17’ 1.75” 5.23m 2013 Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational 02/01/13

43 Cunningham, Logan SR-4 Texas State 17’ 1.5” 5.22m Texas Tech Red Raider Open 02/02/13

43 Austin, Dylan JR-3 Arizona State 17’ 1.5” 5.22m 2013 Mountain T’s Open and Invite 02/01/13

43 Greenlee, Jack SR-4 Michigan 17’ 1.5” 5.22m Big Ten Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships 02/22/13

46 Sandusky, Ethan JR-3 Arkansas State 17’ 1” 5.21m Arkansas State Kickoff Classic 12/02/12 46 Favor, Everette FR-1 Oklahoma 17’ 1” 5.21m 2013 Oklahoma Sooner Invitational 02/16/13

46 Morrow, Jesse SR-4 North Dakota St. 17’ 1” 5.21m Bison Open 02/09/13

49 Reed, Taylor JR-3 UTSA 17’ 0.75” 5.20m Reveille Invitational 12/08/12

49 Scannapieco, Alfonso JR-3 Albany 17’ 0.75” 5.20m 2013 Armory Collegiate Invitational 02/01/13

College Girls Top 50

1 Leleux, Morgann SO-2 Georgia 14’ 9” 4.50m Razorback Invitational 01/25/13 2 Schultze, Martina SO-2 Virginia Tech 14’ 7.25” 4.45m ACC Championships 02/21/13 3 Bartnovskaya, Natalia JR-3 Kansas 14’ 6.25” 4.43m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13 4 Buell, Bethany SO-2 South Dakota 14’ 2” 4.32m Iowa State Classic 02/07/13 5 Morris, Sandi JR-3 Arkansas 14’ 1.75” 4.31m Texas A&M Triangular 01/19/13

6 Riebold, Jade JR-3 Eastern Illinois 14’ 0” 4.27m OVC Indoor Track and Field Championships 02/22/13

7 Richartz, Stephanie JR-3 Illinois 13’ 11.25” 4.25m Big Ten Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships 02/22/13

7 Fields, MacKenzie SR-4 Cincinnati 13’ 11.25” 4.25m Big East Men’s & Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships 02/16/13

7 Payne, Demi JR-3 Kansas 13’ 11.25” 4.25m 2013 Jayhawk Classic 01/25/13 10 Koressel, Allison SR-4 UCLA 13’ 11” 4.24m Run For The Dream 02/17/13 11 Olsen, Petra JR-3 South Carolina 13’ 10.5” 4.23m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13 11 Van Meter, Merrit SO-2 Tulane 13’ 10.5” 4.23m Tyson Invitational 02/08/13

11 Newman, Alysha FR-1 Eastern Michigan 13’ 10.5” 4.23m Mid-American Conference Championship 02/22/13

14 Tobel, Kiley JR-3 Michigan 13’ 10” 4.22m SPIRE NCAA D-I Track Invitational 02/08/13 14 Brown, Kristen SO-2 San Diego St. 13’ 10” 4.22m New Mexico Don Kirby Elite 02/08/13 14 Simpson, Shaylah JR-3 Arizona State 13’ 10” 4.22m New Mexico Don Kirby Elite 02/08/13 17 Petrillose, Kaitlin FR-1 Texas 13’ 9.25” 4.20m Houston Leonard Hilton Memorial 01/18/13 18 Overstreet, Cameron SO-2 North Carolina 13’ 8.25” 4.17m ACC Championships 02/21/13

19 Beaumont-Courteau, Ariane JR-3 Akron 13’ 6.5” 4.13m Mid-American Conference Championship 02/22/13

20 Kolbo, Natasha SR-4 UCLA 13’ 6.25” 4.12m New Mexico Don Kirby Elite 02/08/13 21 Hadfield , Linda JR-3 Tennessee 13’ 5.75” 4.11m VT Invitational 01/18/13

VAULTERMAGAZINE


Vaulter Magazine was fortunate enough to be part of this year’s amazing UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada- the self-proclaimed “best event in track and field” by UCS Spirit. For those of our readers who may not be familiar with this

Vaulter MagazineReaches the summitBy: Michelle Walthall

event, it’s an amazing, annual two-day production held at a competition facility where the elite of pole vaulting are able to share their talent and experience with other passionate vaulters. All levels of pole vaulters are welcomed to the Summit. The combination

of competition, training and learning opportunities offered over the two days is very exciting and a truly meaningful experience for any athlete.

UCS Spirit writes on their website that “the Summit structure is designed to meet the needs of all ability levels including athlete, coaches, and parent break-out sessions, learn-by-doing instruction and roundtable discussion with the world’s best athletes and coaches. Led by national and regional staff influenced by national men’s and women’s pole vault developmental chairmen, each year we compile the most experienced and extensive staff to bring a truly unique experience for our attendees.” Any vaulter should make it a priority to attend.

From first-hand experience we can tell 2013 was a very successful Summit year and UCS Spirit is proud of their work as well. At www.ucsspirit.com, they have this to say about how



successful it was: “This year we were honored to host one of the most exciting and inspiring pole vault summits in recent years. In addition to our own national champions and elite vaulters, we welcomed international competitors; including six Olympic champions, several IAAF world champions and nearly a dozen current national record holders from several continents.”

Among the elite vaulters joining the Summit were 2012 Olympic Champions Renaud Lavillenie and Jenn Suhr, 2008 Olympic Champion Steve Hooker, 2004 Olympic Champion Tim Mack and 2000 Olympic Champions Nick Hysong and Stacy Dragila. Thanks to these phenomenal vaulters, and the Summit staff and volunteers, the event was memorable, crowd-pleasing and well worth all the effort. Not only was there amazing height

to be seen, such as Renaud Lavillenie clearing 19’2” in the Men’s Global Elite Competition and having close attempts at 19’5”, but advice from the elite vaulters and their interactions with attendees was wide-spread. The Olympic champions mentioned above all interacted with the attending vaulters in some way- whether it was giving advice, participating in small group

discussions, or just signing autographs and meeting fellow athletes. No doubt this was life-changing for vaulters who have been inspired by these fierce competitors.

These encounters in themselves are amazing, but it didn’t stop there. Coaches to the elite athletes were also offering their expertise at the Summit. Rick Suhr, coach and husband to



some of the best coaching in the world having a hay day with the future talent of the sport.

More than anything, keeping things safe and focused on giving vaulters a chance to learn vaulting and grow their passion for the sport is what the Summit staff is all about. Not only does it seem that those in attendance feel this goal was reached, but UCS Spirit has reached their goal according to their own standards as well. And there seems to be plans to hold this event for many more years to come. Here is what was said of this year’s experience and plans for the future of the Summit on www.ucsspirit.com: “Focused on advancing a safe, responsible pole vault culture, the National Pole Vault Summit hosted over 1,000 athletes in 57 competitions and saw just that - a responsible vaulting community. The enthusiasm, eagerness to learn and appreciation throughout the weekend bring energy to the Summit and make the tremendous coordinated effort all worth it. It is because of the willingness to learn and excel, and an innate exuberance for the sport that the annual National Pole Vault Summit continues to grow and thrive. We are already looking forward to encourage - engage - educate - inspire next year.”

VAULTERMAGAZINE


If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it soon will. HOW DO I GET ON BIGGER POLES?!

Words of wisdom;

• My former coach, the great Dave Johnston (DJ), used to tell me that the goal is to change poles, not the vault. Too many vaulters totally change everything they do and that’s just wrong. From your very first takeoff you should be dress rehearsing what you need to do right to get on the next pole so it doesn’t feel foreign when you do.

• Tim McMichael (formative coach of NCAA champ Jack Whitt & 18’ 6 ½” – 5.65m vaulter himself) used to say the easiest way to learn to get on bigger poles is to take a small pole you aren’t afraid of and move in a stride. Not only does this build confidence, but you will find you can jump 6” (15cm) higher just by moving in a stride on the same pole. FUN TIP - a real close tool for finding each new step/stride is to simply walk toward the

box, or away from the box by 11 heel to toe baby steps. For someone real young it may be 10, and then maybe 12 for someone older, but it works very well. Thank you Bill Halverson!!

• My next advice is to back off of your run by 5% and hit your plant and take off positions 10% better. Too often we run ourselves out of a good position. You can always add the speed back in after a couple of takeoffs.

• Jump up at takeoff. At the top of your jump to touch a basketball goal, your body will automatically go stiff and that is how you want to hit the pole; with a completely stiff body.

• Hit the pole before it hits you. When I worked with Borya Celentano (18’6 1/2”-5.65m), he would tell me that at the top of this jump off of the ground that he was going to hit and force his hands through the takeoff like a karate chop and not let the impact of the pole slow his hands down. The goal was to hit so quick and hard

before the pole hit the box, that by the time his hands had time to completely close they would be on his hips and he would be vertical.

• DON’T move your grip up on the first jump. You can always move it up a little each jump afterwards but keep the same grip for your first try on that next pole. Thanks to Jan Johnson, head of USA PV Safety, for that advice that had served me well for so many years.

• Still can’t get in? Walk back 11 heel to toe baby steps to your next stride. This tends to be the rule when moving up pole lengths anyway.

• Still can’t get in? You need an in between pole. Look for a trade or get your coach or booster club to fill that gap in your series.

• Of course I’m sure there are other good ideas and techniques, but these are some of the main ones I have depended on for years. Be safe and have fun!

Bubba

How to jump on bigger polesBy: Bubba Sparks



Bubba SparksReno Summit 2013

VAULTERMAGAZINE


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