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TRACK PERIODICALS • BOOKS • TOURS TO THE OLYMPICS, WORLDS, ETC.
contents FROM THE EDITOR
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Financial Aid Facts
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Andrew Scholz has the X Factor
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UW Huskies Show No Fear
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Atlee Raiders: Young, but Not Counted Out
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The Blessing & Curse of Bungees
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36 University of Washington Staff
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FROM THE EDITOR Happy holidays, once again, from Vaulter Magazine. As 2013 is coming to a close, we have more great stories to share with you and keep you motivated this holiday season.
on TV is a must read. We know that his account of the loyalty of his team, friends, and family will touch all of your hearts as well. Please make sure to catch this endearing story.
Bubba has also brought to light another great discussion to keep us learning. This month he discusses the use of bungees. Whether or not you like the use of bungees, you will want to read what he has to say. It is great food for thought on the subject. Don’t miss it.
Our cover features the University of Washington. Coach Licari and his team have turned out Olympians and many successful and elite vaulters. They have a very impressive training program and vault team, and this year has been exciting for them. Make sure to catch this one. We know you will love it.
Our college consultant, Penny Hanson, has brought us a great, information-filled article about the next step in applying to college- the financial aid. Figuring out how to pay for college is an important process for any student seeking higher education. It is our hope Penny’s article can ease some anxiety and answer important questions.
Fans of the show X Factor are in for a great treat this month. Andrew Scholz, as many of you may know from the group on X Factor called Restless Road, is a pole vaulter as well as a singer and he is featured this month. Scholz’s story about his experiences in vaulting and competing
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Coach McDaniel of Atlee High School has done great things with his young team. He uses a more inclusive approach in choosing his vaulters and it is paying off. Coach McDaniel gives all vaulters a chance to prove themselves as he takes the philosophy that you can’t judge a vaulter by their current performance alone. The Atlee Raiders are making themselves known and we hope you will enjoy their story as well.
Thank you for letting us keep you company over the holiday season. 2014 brings many more exciting and informative stories. Hope you see you next year. Editor Doug Bouma editor@thevaultermag.com
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75 SC STATE CHAMPIONS, 10 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, AND 3 “TEAM USA” (WORLD TEAM) SINCE 1998.
www.ShealyAthletics.com Rusty@ShealyAthletics.com
803-315-5998
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Financial Aid Facts Congratulations to all seniors who have submitted applications! I hope that you have heard back from some of your schools already. You all will have peaceful Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks with that part behind you! Penny Hanson
The next step in the college application process is applying for financial aid and scholarships. There are very few “full rides” to college anymore; most financial aid packages are made up of multiple components. Your financial aid package will
consist of grants and scholarships, work study and loans all designed to cover the Cost of Attendance (COA). The sad fact is that many students who earn admission to college never go because they do not complete the financial aid process. The good news is that I am going to tell you how to go about completing that process!
To get started, you will need to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you have financial need, it is imperative that you complete the FAFSA. Even if you do not have financial need, I recommend that you complete the application because many scholarships and schools require the FAFSA. The FAFSA provides access to more than just the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid program. Many state governments and colleges use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for nonfederal aid. Money is available from several different sources including state grant and loan programs, college and university grant, loan and scholarship programs as well as scholarships given by foundations,
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school’s counseling department or Naviance site. These will most likely be local scholarships that often require a less extensive application. The benefit of local scholarships is that there is a much smaller applicant pool and your chances of receiving one of these is greater than if you have applied to a national scholarship with thousands of applicants. If you sign up on a scholarship website, I recommend that you set up a new email account strictly
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for this purpose because your inbox will be flooded with daily emails!
Here are some other websites you should look at: www.apps.collegeboard.com/ cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
www.scholarships.com/about-us www.fastweb.com/
www.princetonreview.com/ scholarships.aspx
Feel free to contact me with any questions you have about the FAFSA, the CSS Profile, scholarships or financial aid. For an hourly fee, I will be happy to review any scholarship essays and applications you submit. Good luck in your search for that pot of gold!
Penny Hanson Hanson College Consultants penny@hansoncollegeaccess.com
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Andrew Scholz has the X Factor By Michelle Walthall
Pole vaulter and X Factor contestant Andrew Scholz is capturing hearts all over America. One might think he would have known his talent all along. However, this humble young man took the advice of others in trying both pole vaulting and the X Factor auditions. Those close to Scholz saw his potential and it has turned out they were all right about him.
“I started pole vaulting my freshman year of high school [at Summerville High School in Summerville, South Carolina],” Scholz says. “The idea of becoming a vaulter didn’t come from me: my coach, Steve Wilson, came up to, me knowing that I had done gymnastics for 10 years, and asked me to try out pole vaulting; so I went out and, sure enough, it was perfect for me. A lot of techniques I used for the rings and high bar in gymnastics I used in pole vaulting, and I caught on to the technique very fast for a beginner. I ended up taking 4th in the 4A SC State Championship that year. I continued to vault sophomore, junior, and senior year where I was runner-up for the 4A State Championship.” Andrew Scholz
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Scholz says this of his coach: “My coach was Alan Abernethy; he was a decathlete at the University of Tennessee. He was the best coach I had ever had in any sport! He really took the
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“In a way I think pole vaulting has helped me because each week we have to learn a new song and we have to practice it over and over and over until we get it perfect,” Scholz continues of the connection between vaulting and his X Factor experience. “Then we have to learn choreography for that song. And if we make it to the next week, that’s more choreography and another song we have to perfect. The discipline I used during practices is the same discipline I use for these songs and choreography. If it’s not right then we keep practicing until it is. And if there’s a new goal to overcome then we will go for it and achieve that goal.”
Those of us who watch the X Factor know that Scholz is still doing well as part of a puttogether country group called Restless Road. He originally tried out alone, but the judges (Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland, and Paulina Rubio) decided to link him together with two other contestants (Colton Pack, and Zach Beeken) to compete as a group. For those who may not watch, he gave us the status of where he currently is in the competition. He says, “I am in the top 13 as of now (Depending on when this is published it will be different). The finishing rounds are the week before Christmas and the process will be either single or double eliminations leading up to 3 acts in the finale. I have learned so much already though. We work almost non stop everyday and it’s always something different; but the best part about it is I enjoy it all because this is the opportunity of a life time and I’m so grateful to be where I am today.”
We certainly wish Mr. Andrew Scholz good luck, and hope to see much more of him in the future. He is a testament to hard work and dedication, and to the places where discipline can take you. You can continue to follow this talented young man’s success on Fox on Wednesday and Thursday nights on the X Factor live shows.
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www.thevaultermag.com Colton Pack and Zach Beeken, Andrew Scholz
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december 2013 issue
www.thevaultermag.com Andrew Scholz, Coach Alan Abernethy
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the vaulter magazine 2013
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LENGTH/WT. 15'9"-175 lbs. 15'9"-180 lbs. 15'9"-185 lbs. 15'9"-187 lbs. 15'9"-190 lbs. 15'9"-193 lbs. 15'9"-195 lbs. 16'5"-165 lbs. 16'5"-170 lbs. 16'5"-175 lbs. 16'5"-180 lbs. 16'5"-185 lbs. 16'5"-187 lbs. 16'5"-190 lbs. 16'5"-193 lbs. 16'5"-195 lbs.
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Recoil Advance takes you further in the concept of stored and released energy with much faster recoil action. This pole is geared for those who have learned to jump over their handgrips. The UST ESSX Recoil Advance is designed to return with more power as you progress to longer length and stiffer weight ratings. Made with advanced composite materials this pole will propel an athlete in the air for the pop on top all vaulters strive for in a jump! NOTE: All special custom poles by weight or flex number require an extra $50.00 per pole upcharge.
POWER-X Poles MODEL 35046PX 350/48PX 350/50PX 350/53PX 350/55PX 350/57PX 350/60PX 350/62PX 350/64PX 350/66PX 350/69PX 350/71PX 350/73PX 375/50PX 375/53PX 375/55PX 375/57PX 375/60PX 375/62PX 375/64PX 375/66PX 375/69PX 375/71PX 375/73PX
LENGTH/WT. 11'6"-100 lbs. 11'6"-105 lbs. 11'6"-110 lbs. 11'6"-115 lbs. 11'6"-120 lbs. 11'6"-125 lbs. 11'6"-130 lbs. 11'6"-135 lbs. 11'6"-140 lbs. 11'6"-145 lbs. 11'6"-150 lbs. 11'6"-155 lbs. 11'6"-160 lbs. 12'4"-110 lbs. 12'4"-115 lbs. 12'4"-120 lbs. 12'4"-125 lbs. 12'4"-130 lbs. 12'4"-135 lbs. 12'4"-140 lbs. 12'4"-145 lbs. 12'4"-150 lbs. 12'4"-155 lbs. 12'4"-160 lbs.
PRICE $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $365.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00 $385.00
MODEL 400/53PX 400/55PX 400/57PX 400/60PX 400/62PX 400/64PX 400/66PX 400/69PX 400/71PX 400/73PX 400/75PX 415/57PX 415/60PX 415/62PX 415/64PX 415/66PX 415/69PX 415/71PX 415/73PX 415/75PX
LENGTH/WT. 13'1"-115 lbs. 13'1"-120 lbs. 13'1"-125 lbs. 13'1"-130 lbs. 13'1"-135 lbs. 13'1"-140 lbs. 13'1"-145 lbs. 13'1"-150 lbs. 13'1"-155 lbs. 13'1"-160 lbs. 13'1"-165 lbs. 13'7"-125 lbs. 13'7"-130 lbs. 13'7"-135 lbs. 13'7"-140 lbs. 13'7"-145 lbs. 13'7"-150 lbs. 13'7"-155 lbs. 13'7"-160 lbs. 13'7"-165 lbs.
PRICE $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $430.00 $450.00 $450.00 $450.00 $450.00 $450.00 $450.00 $450.00 $450.00 $450.00
The Power-X series makes it easy to fit athletes to the pole’s weight rating. This series of poles is designed to return smoother to give the athlete time to lift their feet above their head for maximum jump height. Power-X has increased hoop strength and easy load capability to maximize durability and performance. NOTE: All special custom poles by weight or flex number require an extra $50.00 per pole upcharge.
recoil Poles MODEL LENGTH/WT. PRICE MODEL LENGTH/WT. PRICE 400/62R 13'1"-135 lbs. $500.00 430/57R 14'1"-125 lbs. $540.00 400/64R 13'1"-140 lbs. $500.00 430/60R 14'1"-130 lbs. $540.00 400/66R 13'1"-145 lbs. $500.00 430/62R 14'1"-135 lbs. $540.00 400/69R 13'1"-150 lbs. $500.00 430/64R 14'1"-140 lbs. $540.00 400/71R 13'1"-155 lbs. $500.00 430/66R 14'1"-145 lbs. $540.00 400/73R 13'1"-160 lbs. $500.00 430/69R 14'1"-150 lbs. $540.00 400/75R 13'1"-165 lbs. $500.00 430/71R 14'1"-155 lbs. $540.00 400/78R 13'1"-167 lbs. $500.00 430/73R 14'1"-160 lbs. $540.00 400/80R 13'1"-175 lbs. $500.00 430/75R 14'1"-165 lbs. $540.00 400/82R 13'1"-180 lbs. $500.00 445/62R 14'7"-135 lbs. $600.00 400/84R 13'1"-185 lbs. $500.00 445/64R 14'7"-140 lbs. $600.00 415/64R 13'7"-140 lbs. $530.00 445/66R 14'7"-145 lbs. $600.00 415/66R 13'7"-145 lbs. $530.00 445/69R 14'7"-150 lbs. $600.00 415/69R 13'7"-150 lbs. $530.00 445/71R 14'7"-155 lbs. $600.00 415/71R 13'7"-155 lbs. $530.00 445/73R 14'7"-160 lbs. $600.00 415/73R 13'7"-160 lbs. $530.00 415/75R 13'7"-165 lbs. $530.00 415/78R 13'7"-170 lbs. $530.00 415/80R 13'7"-175 lbs. $530.00 415/82R 13'7"-180 lbs. $530.00 EASIER TO BEND FASTER TO RETURN 415/84R 13'7"-185 lbs. $530.00 Recoil is engineered with special stiffeners of glass and hybrid composite materials to store more energy while reducing pole weight and diameter. The result is a lightweight pole that is easy to bend and “RECOILS” with the power you need. Lower initial load requirements allow you to load the pole with more energy from the swing and receive a greater return of energy as compared to a conventional round pole. NOTE: All special custom poles by weight or flex number require an extra $50.00 per pole upcharge. Pricing is subject to change without notice. POLE FREIGHT: One to three poles is $160.00. Each additional pole is $25.
POWER-X Prep Poles MODEL 275/30PX 275/37PX 275/41PX 275/46PX 275/55PX 305/37PX 305/41PX 305/46PX 305/50PX 325/41PX 325/46PX 325/50PX 325/55PX 325/60PX 325/64PX 325/66PX 325/69PX 325/71PX
LENGTH/WT. 9'-65 lbs. 9'-80 lbs. 9'-90 lbs. 9'-100 lbs. 9'-120 lbs. 10'-80 lbs. 10'-90 lbs. 10'-100 lbs. 10'-110 lbs. 10'8"-90 lbs. 10'8"-100 lbs. 10'8"-110 lbs. 10'8"-120 lbs. 10'8"-130 lbs. 10'8"-140 lbs. 10'8"-145 lbs. 10'8"-150 lbs. 10'8"-155 lbs.
PRICE $280.00 $280.00 $280.00 $280.00 $280.00 $280.00 $280.00 $280.00 $280.00 $300.00 $300.00 $300.00 $300.00 $300.00 $300.00 $300.00 $300.00 $300.00 Like us on:
The Power-X Prep pole is engineered with the same technology and precision as our larger poles. Small diameters are used that will bend to match the needs of beginners that are learning to vault. Power-X Prep is easy to load and has a smoother return to allow ease of timing for new jumpers. All UST ESSX poles are pre-bent with perfect alignment to the soft side which eliminates any twisting during use. NOTE: All special custom poles by weight or flex number require an extra $50.00 per pole upcharge.
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UST ESSX is a division of UST Mamiya 14950 FAA Blvd. • Suite 200 • Fort Worth, TX 76155 • (817) 267-2219 Sales - Bruce Caldwell: 1-877-367-3779 International: (817) 819-1472 • Email: Bruce@UST-ESSX.com
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UW Huskies Show No Fear By: Michelle Walthall
Coach Pat Licari was Head Coach for 5 years at Highline Junior College in Des Moines, WA, and has been for 16 yrs at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington- minutes from downtown, and right on the shores of Lake Washington.
Ryan Vu 2009 Pac-10 Championships
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In that time he has coached: “six NCAA champions, six PAC 12 champions and 12 different All-Americans,” he tells us. We also found out from Coach Licari that the Washington Huskies currently “have 6 full-time, paid coaches and 4
volunteers.” He let’s us know, “I am the only pole vault coach.” And Coach Licari also coaches all the jumps and multi-events for the Huskies.
By his track record, we can see that Coach Licari knows how to pick his vaulters. We asked him what it takes to make it on his team and he says, “For me, I need to see that a vaulter has the ability to at least score in our Conference Meet in a couple of years, that takes at least 16’6” to 17’ for the men and 13’ or so for the women. So out of high school we are usually looking for someone that has jumped 15’6” and 12’. But we are also looking for kids that have the speed and athletic ability to get to that level. I like to see someone that has done lots of different sports and different events in track and
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Top row: Tori Franzen, Kaitlin Zinsli, Lev Marcus, Jax Thoirs, Chris Williams, Ashley Schnapp, Georgia Reynolds, JJ Juilfs, Kristina Owsinski Bottom Row: Jessica Goodkin, Logan Miller, Diamara Planell-Cruz, thePat vaulter magazine 2013 Coach Licari, Elizabeth Quick, Aleksei Dingel, Eva Perry
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“We use all brands of equipment and types of training aides. We typically lift 2 times a week with an emphasis on Olympic lifts, but we do a wide variety of exercises in the weight room utilizing the vast amount of equipment we have in there. Still, with weight training, with all the variety that we
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have to keep things fresh in there, we still like to keep those basic core lifts consistent. We also do a lot of plyometrics, where we use boxes and power hurdles. In the fall we like to get outside and do a lot of hill running, but, as we shift inside, sled pulls replace the hills. Also, in the fall, we go in the pool once a week; we go in on Wednesday which we use as a little break for the legs. We will do some conditioning, some running drills in the shallow end, and then we also do some underwater vaulting. I find that this is a great way to get in the right positions and feel the correct movements in a slow, controlled way. We also like to do some gymnastic type of pole vault drills. At least 2 times per week we will do a circuit that includes some high bar drills: the ‘swing to invert machine’, rings, pulley drills, among others. To encourage an aggressive last few steps and plant, we will use a timing system to measure speed and sliding box to work an aggressive plant and take off. I test speed and power 3 to 4 times per year using a test called the Quadrathlon. The test includes 30m sprint, standing long jump, 3 double leg jumps, backward overhead shot throw. We test at the beginning of the year, after fall training, after the indoor season, and at the peak of outdoor season. I find that the testing allows us to follow the progress of all the physical training that we do. In our technical practices we always use video, we like to use a TV set up with a DVR which allows one athlete to be viewing their last jump while the camera is still recording the
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next jump. Having every jump be recorded is a great tool to see how close we are getting to the goals we have with regards to technique.”
lot of stuff together outside of practice. At one point all 6 of my female pole vaulters were all sharing a house together.”
“We typically have a large group of men and women in our PV crew,” Coach Licari
And here is what Coach Licari has to say about division and competition this school year: “We compete in the
are from our conference. We have also had many national champions, both on the Men’s and Women’s side. We also compete in division 1, which means indoor and typically takes about 17’6” and 14’ to get to Nationals. Outdoors we have two rounds of Nationals.
continues. “We will do a lot of training as a group, but, with such a big group, we will break down into smaller groups for technical sessions. It is a very tight group that does a
PAC 12, which, year in and year out, is one of if not the toughest conference in the country for the pole vault. Most years a large number of the competitors at Nationals
The first round will have the country broke down into East and West, and it has taken around 16’9” and 13’ to get to the West’s first round top 48. From there we compete to get
Jax Thoirs 2013 NCAA Prelims
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summer and became the 5th Husky over 18’.”
The alumni vaulters of the University of Washington are impressive as well. According to Coach Licari, the Husky alumni include: “Brad Walker, a 2-time Olympian, 2-time world champ, and American record holder, and Carly Dockendorf, a Canadian national champion and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist.”
A few elite vaulters also give the Huskies some muchappreciated help. Coach Licari says some elite vaulters that help him teach and train are: “Ryan Brown, a 4-time NCAA division 2 national champ, Levi Keller, a USA Championship finalist and American Ninja Warrior finalist, and Ryan Vu, PAC 10 champion and Canadian Nationals medalist.” “The thing we are most excited about [from this year] is that our football stadium received a $350 million facelift,” says Coach Licari. “We had one of the last tracks inside the football stadium. In the process we moved the track out of the stadium, and got our own facility. We built a beautiful new purple track with 8 pole vault runways.”
Scott Roth 2009 NCAA Outdoor Championships
Fun is not neglected with the Husky vaulters, even though they do train hard at the University of Washington. Coach Licari tells us that, for fun, his team: “attends the Pole Vault Summit, hosts two beach vaults in the summer, has a killer pre-season bbq
at my house for some beach volleyball on the sand court, and has an annual ugly Christmas sweater bowling party.” Sounds like a good combination of work, play, and turning out great athletes for UW. We will, no doubt, be seeing more of them.
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Atlee Raiders: Young, but Not Counted Out By: Michelle Walthall Atlee High School, located in Mechanicsville, VA, is fortunate enough to have Coach McDaniel leading their vaulters. McDaniel brings a lot of love for the sport and experience to the table for the Atlee Raiders.
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Here is what we found out from Coach McDaniel about his start with pole vaulting: “I was a distance runner in high school. When I saw the pole vault, my freshmen year, it looked like a lot of fun; so I started vaulting at home. No real poles, just small poplar trees I cut down (good for about 15 jumps before they break). No pit or coach, just trial and error. And over three years I managed to vault 12’ at home. With no pits you learn to land on your feet and to
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become very aware of where you are in the air.”
Erin McDaniel and Bryce Simpson
“By my senior year the high school pole vault coach, Kyle Bishop, heard I was vaulting at home; so to keep me from hurting myself he got me on the vault team,” Coach McDaniel continues of his start. “It was a great year. I met a lot of new friends and managed to vault 13’, making it to the AAA Indoor State Meet. I have remained friends with Coach Bishop. He is, in my opinion, the most knowledgeable person in Virginia when it comes to the pole vault and I pick his brain often in an effort to help my vaulters.” So how did Coach McDaniel end up at Atlee? He says, “I started coaching at Atlee three years ago when my daughter took up the sport. It has been great for both of us; we have learned a lot about each other. What started out as a fatherdaughter thing, has just taken off. I now have six girl vaulters from Atlee and one from a rival school that I train, and five male vaulters. I love being a vault coach- even with all the frustrations. I get more nervous before meets now as a coach than I did when I vaulted.” While Coach McDaniel is the only vault coach at Atlee, he is
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MAGAZINE Left to right Chelsea Rose, Sara Cole, Val Miller, Morgan Kirby, NumaRhamni, Erin Mcdaniel, Coach McDaniel, Bryce Simpson, David Sagovia, Henry Buyas, Charlie Buyas
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Bryce Simpson
not without backup. He says he has an important woman along for the ride. “My wife Portia is our biggest supporter,” says McDaniel. “She helps with so much: travel to and from meets, working the pit when needed, and filming each jump. She has even packed the entire team bagged lunches before. Mostly I would like to say thank you to her. She gives up every weekend for about seven months of the year to allow us to do this sport.”
“The pole vault in our area has pockets of participation,” says McDaniel. “Most schools don’t pole vault saying, ‘it is too costly’. In the county Atlee is in we have four high schools and all four believe in the need to have the pole vault
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as an event. Hanover County has produced five individual state pole vault champions, several winning the title multiple times. Atlee has been responsible for five of them: most recently Cameron Overstreet- 2011 AAA indoor and outdoor state champion, now a standout at UNC, and Chris Pillow- 2011 AAA indoor and outdoor state champion, now at Rice University. Both of these athletes currently hold Atlee’s school records (coached by, former Atlee vault coach, Kyle Bishop).” “One thing that makes our program different is that we accept anyone,” continues Coach McDaniel. “I believe in numbers- the more the better. At times this can be difficult, but it is very hard to tell what a skinny, slow freshman is going to turn into, as a vaulter or as a person, but I do know the lessons learned on the runway will follow them throughout their life.”
This philosophy, taken on by Coach McDaniel, of giving everyone a chance has proved a nice fit with the current vault team at Atlee. Being a rather new team with little resources, it is necessary to tap into potential from all over. Coach McDaniel says, “We don’t have much equipment to work with so we make do.
We do a lot of running drills over short hurdles, rope drills, and uphill pole runs. The vault program at Atlee is steeped in tradition, but the team I have is young. When I took over three years ago we had one senior returning and no underclassmen, so I was starting from scratch. That year I got two freshmen boys and three freshmen girls and it took us all of indoor and most of outdoor before we were competitive. Two years later we are up to six girls and five boys; they are all juniors except one senior girl. We are now competitive, both boys and girls, on the State level.” Here are some details of the current Raider vault team, according to Coach McDaniel: Erin McDaniel
december 2013 issue
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Bryce Simpson
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december 2013 issue
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Erin McDaniel
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The Blessing & Curse of Bungees By: Buba Sparks
I have made no secret of my dislike for the overuse of bungees. Like everything in my career, I have spent extended time experimenting with bungees. In fact, I tend to overdo everything I try to the point that I can step away with a clear mind and identify only the benefits of any component. With time and energy being at a premium, it is urgent that we only spend time on things that work. My two biggest issues with bungees are that it creates a false sense of achievement for the athlete, and tends to make them hesitant or even afraid of the crossbar. Putting a bungee up in practice just to avoid putting up a crossbar does a disservice to everyone. I remember at practice at the 1996 Olympic Games, in five weeks only one person used a bungee and it was Bubka who had it at 20’8”/6.30m, and that’s just because no one could reach higher. More than one vaulter said to me, “When they allow bungees in meets I will consider it, but probably would still not use one”. And these were Olympians!
So before I discuss the beneficial use of bungees, let me finish why and where I do not like them.
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I had a kid ask me to get him in the high school division of the great Los Angeles indoor meet, the Sunkist invitational. I asked his best vault and he said he was consistent around 16’/4.88m. Having never heard of him I asked where he trained. When he told me, I asked if his mark was with a bungee. He said yes. I asked if he had ever jumped with a bar at practice and he said no. I invited him to our all comers meet that weekend and had to beg him not to start at 15’/4.60m. I suggested he start really low, have some fun and get a bunch of jumps in. He could only clear 13’6”/4.12m and he was devastated. In his mind, he should be starting at 15’/4.60m and making 16’, but in reality on a great day, he might make 14’. He quit before the season was half over.
At UC Irvine, where I worked with vaulters for 14 years, our club worked with many high school kids. Almost every single one of them adamantly did not want to use a bar. I asked what they did for practice and they said they always had a bungee up. They were actually afraid of the crossbar. Therefore, those are my reasons. It breaks my heart to see kids demoralized or afraid.
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crossbar. Within 2-3 sessions, they were starting at a 14’/4.27m bungee and ending at 15’6”/4.75m. Therefore, it took a few sessions for the technical change to sink in. After two weeks, we revert to using it only for 3-4 warm up jumps. We actually have three bungees up for the different levels of vaulters during the warm up. Again, after 47 years in this event I learn daily that I know nothing. However, at the same
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time, I have probably already made every mistake you will ever make in your career multiple times. In fact, I have forgotten mistakes and relearned them. Okay so I am not that smart. ;-)
Finally, the best and fastest way to use the crossbar is for the person who just vaulted to put the bar up for the next person before he leaves the pit. We leave the raising device on the edge of the pit below the pegs. Think about it; if you land
on the raiser then you did so after landing on the standard pegs so you probably have bigger problems. The process is simple and moves very fast. Therefore, that is my two cents. You can gain great benefit in using the bungee if you follow these simple rules. All the best and have a blast. Bigger jumps and better control are right around the corner. Bubba Bubba
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