The National Pole Vault Summit: A Brief and Charming History

By Debbie Chappell

Over dinner on an icy winter night in the late 1980’s, my husband Steve asked me what I thought of the idea of having a coach’s clinic and competition in Reno, Nevada….in the middle of January.

I pondered how to delicately tell him he was out of his mind. After all, winters in Reno at the base of the rugged Sierra mountains can be brutal…howling wind, snow.

Before I could get the words out, he shared what he and Lane (Maestretti) his colleague and cohort at UCS Spirit, had been thinking ever since they had returned from Fresno that year.

At the invitation of Bob Fraley, head track coach at Fresno State at the time, Steve and Lane attended a clinic he hosted highlighting the pole vault and local coaches. It was well-received and afterwards Bob suggested Steve and Lane do something similar in Reno. With northern Nevada being the home of UCS Spirit, this wasn’t completely illogical and had the added benefit of being a fun place Bob and his wife Elaine liked to visit to gamble.

Sitting at almost 5,000 feet elevation and known for little else, Reno is not much of a sporting town. Steve and Lane would have their work cut out to entice anyone to come here, in January no less. But they invited a few coaches and some local athletes anyway, promising a friendly little competition afterwards to make things fun.

To their surprise, 70 people signed up for the first “Summit”. (The name came later, born from the concept of converging ideas and vault philosophies melded with the alpine setting.) Most of the participants were from the west coast and they ran the competition on one pit. Afterwards, they had pizzas delivered and everyone sat on the floor of the Reno Livestock Event Center to eat them.

Word spread, especially among high school coaches and athletes, again mostly from the west. Pretty soon five pits were needed, two on the infield and the remainder on the mezzanine of the arena. Steve, Lane, and Bob had to work to keep up with the growing numbers and rounded up more of the best coaches they knew for instruction, including Gregg Hull, Brian Yokayama and others. Then, a good number of post-collegiate athletes looking for competition started showing up. Several elite west coast athletes heard about it, and because of a lack of indoor meets, they came looking for competition. When word got out to the east coast athletes about this great little competition in Nevada, they hopped on flights to Reno too, and more pits were brought in.

A few members of the braintrust of pole vault - Greg Duplantis, Steve Chappell, David Butler, Greg Hull and Jim Bemiller

Photo provided by Debbie Chappell

When the women arrived, just one or two at first, there was some spirited discussion among the ranks about what to do as the pole vault wasn’t sanctioned as a women’s event yet. Steve and Lane said ‘let ‘em jump!’

By this time, the Summit had attracted sponsors in addition to UCS Spirit, including USA Track and Field. USATF threatened to pull their sponsorship if the girls were allowed to jump, saying its focus was on men’s development. But Steve and Lane held fast – the girls were staying. Needless to say, more pits were set up and they never looked back.

That was a lot of pits and over thirty years ago. Today, the National Pole Vault Summit is known globally as one of the premier events in the sport of pole vault. There literally is no place anywhere in the world like it. The Summit has grown to over 2,000 registered athletes, coaches, and spectators. Its elite Friday night competition has become world-renowned, attracting Mondo Duplantis, Renaud LaVillenie, Sandy Morris, Katie Nageotte, Sam Kendricks, Katerina Stefanidi, Thiago Braz, Brad Walker, Jeff Hartwig, Stacy Dragila, Jenn Suhr and countless others. With 15 runways and pits all under one roof, young athletes of every ability have access to the finest and most advanced coaching staff in the world assembled over one weekend.

They can mingle with world-ranked elite athletes who not only compete, but coach, advise, and give encouragement to them, their parents and their coaches. Its unique atmosphere fosters confidence in young athletes, no matter their experience level, and offers access to proper concepts and training. Supporting the camaraderie and kinship unique to the pole vault family, the Summit has become the breeding ground for lifelong friendships and lasting bonds in generations of vaulters.

Photo provided by Debbie Chappell

When I recently sat down with Steve over a cup of coffee to prepare for this article (no longer thinking he’s out of his mind), I asked him what stood out to him over the years as the most exciting moment at the Summit. He gave me two:

The first: Stacy Dragila’s many awesome performances, and that she is such a special ambassador for the event. On more than one occasion, Stacy competed in Friday night’s elite competition, only to rise early on Saturday morning to help out at the arena with the high school competitions, manning pits and officiating. She is consistently mobbed in the coffee line in the hotel and patiently engages with young athletes, fans, and coaches in elevators and hallways. Her enthusiasm, friendliness, and energy are genuine and best represent the spirit of the Pole Vault Summit.

The second: In the early years after an elite high school competition, when the event was growing among high school girls, the Summit demonstrated that the pole vault was going to be a real event for young women. That moment was not only gratifying for Steve, but a turning point in the event at large.

Those are two of many, and we look forward to more with the up and coming vaulters. We are happy and excited that The Summit will be back in 2022, yes, in the middle of January in Reno, Nevada! (Due to Covid, the 2021 Summit was cancelled.) The dates for the 2022 National Pole Vault Summit are January 14th and 15th and registration is open at https://polevaultsummit.com. Covid protocols have been put in place and will be followed for the safety of all attendees. See the website for details.

Bring your woolies and enthusiasm and enjoy a pole vault experience like no other!

Mondo Duplantis with Sofia San Miguel circa 2014