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Rains heads talented Maverick vaulters


By Shane Frederick
Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO â€â€

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Pole Vault Summit: Records fall as annual event concludes
JUSTIN LAWSON
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 1/6/2008
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AMY BECK/RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL/RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Reno junior Casey Gray goes down the runway while attempting a vault at the National Pole Vault Summit.

NATIONAL POLE VAULT SUMMIT
Nearly 2,500 vaulters participated in the Summit with skill ranges from novice to masters. The Summit involved high school, college, open and masters age competitors.
Reno graduate and Cal vaulter Cameron Kroll was supposed to participate in the Summit, but scratched due to a tweaked hamstring he suffered last week in practice.

The Pole Vault Summit at the Livestock Event Center came to a close on Saturday after nearly 2,500 athletes varying from novice to elite to masters levels participated in the annual competition.
The competition saw a few masters records broken -- which were also world records -- and many local residents in action, but didn't get the chance to see Reno High graduate and Cal vaulter Cameron Kroll, who was unable to vault due to injury.
Of the 2,500 competitors, there were 16 local high school athletes vaulting this weekend. Reno's Jordan Parker had the best finish of them, taking first place in his competition with a sudden-death vault of 13 feet, six inches.
"It's kind of a great honor to actually be there," Parker said about the Summit. "Some kids don't get to go. The experience is great being with the elite vaulters and it's just great to be able to win it."
The real testament to Parker's accomplishment is that he was back to vaulting nearly five months after blowing out his eardrum when he was diving. He had to have surgery on his ear.
"I was pretty shocked with the result," Parker said.
Parker, a junior, was on the same team as Kroll at Reno and said he learned a lot from Kroll, who holds the Nevada high school vaulting record at 17-0.
"Cameron was great," Parker said. "It was good to be able to look up to someone to who was more at the pro-ish level. It's a great credit to him."
The 16 local high school athletes who participated in the Summit are all a part of the Sky Nevada Vaulters Club, which is headed by Reno vaulting coach Joseph Sambrano. He said that he was more than pleased with all of his athletes.
"Basically this is the first meet of the year and it's just to try to get a measuring stick to see where you're at and what you need to work on," Sambrano said. "So far all of our kids were within one foot of last year."
Parker's personal best is 14-6, which was second best in regionals in 2007.
Sambrano looked like he might have another winner out of his club in Reno junior Casey Gray. She hit her first few vaults with relative ease before getting to 10-0, where several competitors missed. Casey's personal best was 11-2, making the height well within her reach. But Gray wasn't able to make the height in three attempts.
"I haven't vaulted in a long time," Gray said. "I was on a short run, a shorter pole so I was pleased. It's the first meet of the season no is expected to do well."
In addition, several masters records were broken, including the men's over-40 record, which was broken by Pat Manson, who vaulted 5.36 meters. Donna Shultz vaulted 3.07 meters to break the over-50 women's record and Paul Babits broke the 45-49 record with a 5.01. Each of these marks are world records in their age group.
Kroll was supposed to take part in the college competition, but he tweaked a hamstring in practice last week.
"It's too early to risk it and this doesn't even count," Kroll said.

http://www.journalstar.com/articles/200 ... 440365.txt

NU track and field kicks off season
By the Lincoln Journal Star
Sunday, Jan 06, 2008 - 12:16:01 am CST
The Nebraska track and field team kicked off the 2008 season at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev.

The women were led by freshman Natalie Willer, who tied for fourth in the first division with a mark of 12-9½, an indoor personal best. Sophomore Lindsey Maher finished in sixth place in Division 2 with a height of 11-11¾, also tying her indoor personal best.

For the men, the Huskers sent junior Zac Holoch and senior Pat Burke to compete. Junior Zac Holoch placed fifth in Division II with a vault of 15-11, while senior Pat Burke finished right behind him with a mark of 15-3¼. Burke’s vault was his indoor personal best, while Holoch tied his best mark.

The rest of the Husker track and field team will begin action on Jan. 18 when the Huskers host the Holiday Inn Invitational at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Indoor Track.

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Vaulting summit mixes history and competition
SCOTT OXARART
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Posted: 1/5/2008



AMY BECK/RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Tye Harvey, 33, attempts to pole vault 18 feet one inch during the first night of the National Pole Vault Summit Friday at the Reno Livestock Event Center.

18TH ANNUAL POLE VAULT SUMMIT
WHERE: Reno Livestock Events Center
WHEN: Today, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (High schools, 1 p.m., colleges to follow)
TICKETS: $20, at the door


By 1962, pole vaulter John Uelses had competed in his share of track and field events.
So when he showed up at Madison Square Garden in New York City for the Millrose Games, he was not overwhelmed by the sell out crowd.
He was overwhelmed when a crowd of people rushed toward him after he became the first man to clear 16 feet, a world record.
"When I made the height, the people went nuts," said Uelses, who was honored Friday during the opening ceremony of the 18th annual Pole Vault Summit at Reno's Livestock Events Center. "They came running down and they knocked down the standards.
"The world record has to be measured before and after the jump, but people came from everywhere."
The opening ceremony kicked off a day of clinics and demonstrations, for the some 3,000 participants. Elite pole-vaulters, such as Olympic gold medalist Stacy Dragila, competed later in the evening.
This afternoon, high school and college teams will compete on the 12 available ramps at the events center.
Pole vaulting and other track and field events were popular at that time. Uelses said it was easy to find information and stories about events. Now, however, the sport struggles to gain the nation's attention, event director Bob Fraley said.
Uelses sat in front of thousands on Friday, however. Many were high school athletes, and for the opening ceremony and Fraley made it a point to introduce Uelses because of his continued success in promoting the sport.
"He was instrumental to this sport," said Fraley, as he pointed to Uelses.
When Uelses competed on the vault, he appeared on a cover of Sports Illustrated magazine and was interviewed by other mainstream media, he said. He used a fiberglass pole, which was new to most competitors, and it helped propel the sport.
The current world record is 20 feet, 1 ¾ inches, set by Sergei Bubka of the Ukraine in 1994.
Even though Americans captured gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics (Stacy Dragila and Nick Hysong in 2000, Tim Mack in 2004) the sport is not getting mainstream coverage, though that's not uncommon for many Olympic sports.
Uelses, and others, are looking to kids, and events like the summit, to help revive the sport.
"When you see all these young kids here and you talk to them, it's like watch plants grow," Uelses said. "They want to learn so much. It's fun to watch."

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=42818.html

Miles, Schwartz Winners at National Pole Vault Summit
Saturday 5 January 2008
Reno, Nevada, USA – Derek Miles is almost good as new.

Miles, who was sidelined for nearly a year from complications from a stress fracture in his tibia, scaled 5.80m to win the elite men’s competition in the National Pole Vault Summit at the Reno Livestock Events Center on Friday (4 Jan).


Jillian Schwartz en route to victory in Reno
(Kirby Lee)
Jillian Schwartz won the women’s competition at 4.30m in the 18th annual meeting that features more than 1,300 athletes in 72 pole vault competitions contested simultaneously in 12 pits over two days.

Miles Outduels Stevenson to collect fourth Reno victory

Miles won the competition with a third-attempt clearance at 5.80m to defeat Toby Stevenson, who finished second 5.70m after a near miss on his first of three attempts at 5.80m. Jeff Ryan was third at 5.50m and Jeff Hartwig, who turned 40 last September, was fourth in an age 40 world best of 5.50m.

Miles’ triumph marked the fourth Summit win for the seventh-place finisher in the 2004 Olympic Games. Miles, 35, won three consecutive titles from 2002-04 but his win on Friday was particularly gratifying after missing the 2006 season and much of the 2007 campaign because of a stress fracture in his middle right tibia in his non takeoff leg.

Miles had surgery to place a titanium intramedullary rod in December 2006 but was sidelined for almost a year because of the injury. He waited for half a year hoping for the injury to heal before the surgery and needed six months of rehab after the surgery. Miles still isn’t able to do plyometrics or hard running because of the condition.

“When I finally started to pole vault, I had no training,â€Â

http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=42818.html

Miles, Schwartz Winners at National Pole Vault Summit
Saturday 5 January 2008
Reno, Nevada, USA – Derek Miles is almost good as new.

Miles, who was sidelined for nearly a year from complications from a stress fracture in his tibia, scaled 5.80m to win the elite men’s competition in the National Pole Vault Summit at the Reno Livestock Events Center on Friday (4 Jan).


Jillian Schwartz en route to victory in Reno
(Kirby Lee)
Jillian Schwartz won the women’s competition at 4.30m in the 18th annual meeting that features more than 1,300 athletes in 72 pole vault competitions contested simultaneously in 12 pits over two days.

Miles Outduels Stevenson to collect fourth Reno victory

Miles won the competition with a third-attempt clearance at 5.80m to defeat Toby Stevenson, who finished second 5.70m after a near miss on his first of three attempts at 5.80m. Jeff Ryan was third at 5.50m and Jeff Hartwig, who turned 40 last September, was fourth in an age 40 world best of 5.50m.

Miles’ triumph marked the fourth Summit win for the seventh-place finisher in the 2004 Olympic Games. Miles, 35, won three consecutive titles from 2002-04 but his win on Friday was particularly gratifying after missing the 2006 season and much of the 2007 campaign because of a stress fracture in his middle right tibia in his non takeoff leg.

Miles had surgery to place a titanium intramedullary rod in December 2006 but was sidelined for almost a year because of the injury. He waited for half a year hoping for the injury to heal before the surgery and needed six months of rehab after the surgery. Miles still isn’t able to do plyometrics or hard running because of the condition.

“When I finally started to pole vault, I had no training,â€Â

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Indoor track notebook: Finkel, Meggiolaro, Pompei vault to Reno
Saturday, January 5, 2008

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It's a well-known fact that within the indoor track community that Montville's Chrissy Finkel, Whippany Park's Melissa Meggiolaro and Nicole Pompei of Hanover Park are some of the state's best pole vaulters.
Today, they have the chance to prove themselves against the nation's elite.

Finkel, Meggiolaro and Pompei boarded separate planes to Reno, NV. on Thursday morning to compete in the National Pole Vault Summit.

"I really wanted to be here," Finkel said. "I enjoy all the open events where I can compete with people on my level."

Finkel, a junior, won last year's indoor pole vault state championship with 11-6 leap. She matched that in her first jump this winter, setting a new Len Pietrewicz Polar Bear Invitational meet record.

Pompei, also a junior, took fifth last winter at the Meet of Champions. Meggiolaro, a senior, also reached the M of C, landing 11th.

According to its Web site, the NPVS "is a developmental clinic established and carried on to promote safety and encourage development of the Pole Vault at all levels through continued education."

The event kicked off Friday at 10 a.m., where the athletes received intense, thorough training from high-caliber instructors until 5 p.m. After an hour break, where the vaulters were grouped by ability, the elite competition took place.

Cathy Finkel, Chrissy's mother and pole vault coach, expected her daughter to place in the elite category.

"She was the third-highest jumper (in the nation) at the level of grade 10," Cathy said. "This is a very exciting opportunity for her to work with the top people in the field."

Finkel, a former gymnast, has been vaulting since her freshman year. As a child, she would watch her older sister compete in track and field.

"Some people don't like (pole vaulting)," Finkel said. "I love it. Every little aspect helps add up to the result. There are so many parts you can nit-pick at to improve your results. Oh, and I like to fly."

Finkel, a straight-A student, hopes her vaulting will carry her into college.

"I really like Villanova," Finkel said. "My ultimate goal in pole vaulting is to get a scholarship with it."

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/s ... 31024.html

Harmon missed Saturday's meet to accompany Dumas to Reno, Nev., for the pole vault summit. The defending state and New England high school champion turned in a vault of 11-6 and also attended clinics given by U.S. Olympians.

"She jumped really well out here," Harmon said. "She's picked up a lot of stuff."

Earlier this season, Dumas won at the Brown Relays with a vault of 11-2 and set a record at the University of Southern Maine relays with a height of 11-3.

"She's improving every meet we have this year," Harmon said.

Dumas has a career best of 12-7 at Harvard last spring. She'll go to the Dartmouth Relays this weekend and likely compete in the National Indoor Championships in New York City next month.

"The way she's going she'll be able to go to the junior nationals in June in Indianapolis," Harmon said. "If she gets into that, she'll get into elite coaching."

http://bangornews.com/news/t/highschool ... &zoneid=19

Dumas still soaring high

Cony High of Augusta pole vaulter Bethany Dumas fared well at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev., last weekend.

Dumas, the defending Class A state champ and reigning outdoor New England champ, turned in a vault of 11 feet, 6 inches.

Dumas achieved a victory at the Brown Relays earlier this winter, and set a record of 11-3 at the University of Southern Maine.

Along with Old Town’s Maxim, Dumas will compete at this weekend’s Dartmouth Relays.

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UT Arlington track led by pole vaulter Hayes
BY PEGASUS NEWS WIRE
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In UT Arlington's first meet of the indoor season, junior pole vaulter Wade Hayes cleared 16 feet, 3 inches to lead the Maverick men's team at the 18th Annual National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev.

Nina Guerrero and Chelsea Pope each cleared 10 feet, 2 inches each to lead the women.

"It was fortunate as well as educational for our athletes to be able to get out there and compete for the first time in the indoor season," UTA track and field coach John Sauerhage said. "We had some good performances, and hopefully, it will carry over to the whole team when everybody gets the season started next weekend."

UTA's entire team opens the 2008 indoor season Jan. 18 at the Texas Tech Invitational in Lubbock.

In the Reno meet, Hayes finished second in the College Men's 2 Division.

In the College Men 6 Division UT Arlington sophomore Cory Carswell vaulted 14 feet, 9 inches, which was good enough for a sixth-place tie.

The highlight of the women's competition for the Mavericks was the combined performances from Guerrero and Pope, who each cleared 10 feet, 2 inches to finish atop the College Women 7 Division. Freshman Samantha Nash finished 13th in the College Women's 4 Division by clearing a height of 10 feet.

"For Wade Hayes to clear 16-3 in his first meet was very encouraging, so we were very pleased with his performance," Sauerhage said. "It has been a very long time around here since an athlete turned in that height in his first time out."

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Masters athletes set records galore at Pole Vault Summit

Masters athletes shredded the record books over the weekend as a half-dozen competitors set a total of eight world indoor records at the 18th annual National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada.

Some 60 Masters men and women as old as 72 were among 2,400 athletes racing down a dozen elevated runways arrayed like spokes of a bicycle at Reno's Livestock Events Center.

In the elite men's division Friday, American record holder Jeff Hartwig led the way -- becoming the first over-40 jumper to clear 18 feet in legitimate competition. Jumping 5.50 meters/18 feet .50 inch, Hartwig broke a record only an hour old. In a separate competition, longtime rival Pat Manson of Colorado (who also turned 40 in late 2007), upped the listed world indoor record twice, finally to 5.36m/17-7.

On other pits Friday, four other Masters jumpers were setting their own age-group records -- all world indoor bests (pending ratification by World Masters Athletics):

National champion Paul Babits of Indiana, a 47-year-old who runs a pole vault camp in Fort Wayne, raised his own M45 world indoor record to 5.01m/16-5.25.

2001 world masters champion Jeff Kingstad of Wisconsin, a former scuba-diving teacher in the Cayman Islands, cleared 4.11m/13-6) at age 55 to better the previous standard of 4.10m/13-5.25 set five years ago. Kingstad's clearance came on a rare fourth attempt allowed as a tiebreaker since he was in a jump-off for first place.

Retired engineer John Altendorf, a 61-year-old from Corvallis, Ore., upped his own M60 world indoor record to 4.00m/13-1.50, and remains the oldest man to clear 13 feet.

And finally, Donna Schultz of Portland, Ore., made sure the men didn't have all the fun -- erasing one of Phil Raschker's countless world records. Schultz, who turned 50 last September, cleared 3.07m/10-0.75) to top Phil's listed W50 world indoor record of 3.06m/10.50 set at nationals in 2000.

For more information on the 2008 Pole Vault Summit in Reno, visit: http://www.polevaultsummit.com/

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Gleason clears PR of 12-8 at National Pole Vault Summit
STAFF REPORT

Posted: 1/11/2008

Smith Valley native Kylee Gleason, a 2007 SVHS graduate and now a track and field athlete at Idaho State University, set a personal record by clearing 12-feet, 8-inches during the National Pole Vault Summit on Saturday at the Livestock Events Center in Reno.
Initially she was using a new pole and missed the first two times at her opening height of 11-feet and she then switched to a larger pole and did well. She tried an even larger pole for a try at 13-feet but fell short.
Her father and high school coach Jim Gleason said Kylee felt good about how she did and so did her coach, Dave Nielsen, was pleased. Jim said she looks good in the runway, as she has a shorter but faster run, and appears bigger and stronger.
Gleason returned Sunday to ISU and will begin the indoor season with meets almost right away.
Gleason finished fifth overall among collegiate jumpers in the large competition. She was second in her flight while in the top flight three pole vaulters bested her height.