JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
1
RIGHT NOW N O T H I N G E L S E VAULTER
MAGAZINE
MATTERS TIME TO FLY
2
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
CONTENTS
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
8
FROM THE EDITOR
4
“ANY GIVEN DAY CAN BE YOUR DAY”
8
THE SEMO REDHAWKS
18
DIAMARA PLANELL: THE PRIDE OF PUERTO RICO
30
FROM THE GROUND UP
36
18 16 30
36 Cover photo by Rich Baum
Cover photo by Keith Hente
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
3
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
FROM THE EDITOR Summer is here! Time to soak up the sun and get some much-needed rest before summer meets begin! This month, the magazine is packed full with two great feature articles, another article from Michael Soule, and an article on Diamara Planell.
Michael Soule wrote another article for those getting back into pole vaulting. This month he covers how to re-teach yourself the plant, and keeping yourself from doing a “roundhouse plant.” This plant is a habit Michael himself had to break, and he has really good suggestions on how to do it yourself. Check it out!
Adele Correale San Miguel has written an article on Diamara Planell. Diamara is the elite vaulter who will be representing Puerto Rico in the Rio Olympics. This article talks about Diamara’s life growing up and her success with pole vault. This vaulter is a competitor with her eyes on the prize. She sets herself a goal and does
4
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
not stop until she achieves it. Don’t miss her story!
great team, great competitors, and great big family.
well and am very excited to have them in our magazine. Coach Tim Rademaker has a lot to offer his vaulters and will welcome any vaulter who will trust him into their pole-vault family. This is a great team where you will be surrounded by teammates who want you to succeed just as much as you do. The SEMO Redhawks are worth your time—
Thank you, everyone, for being awesome supporters. We could not do what we do without you. Enjoy the warmer weather, and get excited for summer meets and the Olympics to come! Until next month, keep flying!
Our featured University this month is Southeast Missouri State University. Having competed in the same conference as this team, I know them very
Our featured elite this month is the one-and-only Katie Nageotte. If you have had the pleasure of meeting this vaulter, you will know that she is wonderful to be around and lights up any room. She has an incredible pole-vault journey where there were many struggles along the way, but she has come out on top and is now a successful elite pole vaulter. Her story is touching. Her encouragement is great. Her positive attitude is inspiring. Her advice is second-to-none. Her goals are reachable. Jump on over to her article, it is long, but beyond worth it.
Editor Sadie Lovett Sadie@vaultermagazine.com
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
5
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
6
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
7
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
“ANY GIVEN DAY CAN BE YOUR DAY”
The Pole-Vault Story of Katie Nageotte Every pole vaulter has their own story of how they started this crazy sport. Katie Nageotte is no different. Starting at a young age, Katie fell in love with pole vault and hasn’t put a pole down since:
“I started in the 7th grade at 12 years old. I was a gymnast when I was younger and loved doing daredevil-ish things. For example, breaking my wrist trying to flip off a regulation size soccer goal (between that and pole vaulting, it’s safe to say I’ve been giving my mom gray hair since day one). I joined the middle school track team, and the first day they took us over to the high school track, I saw the high schoolers doing it. I thought to myself “I HAVE to try that!” I begged the
8
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
coaches for days to let me try. Finally, at the end of practice a couple days later (out of pure annoyance and undoubtedly to shut me up), they said I could. All 80lbs of me walked up to the high school coach timidly and asked to try. He handed me a 10’8 100 pole and I did my first ever straight pole. It was awkward and uncoordinated, but I was hooked.”
Katie’s family has been there for her since day one. And even when times were really tough, everyone stuck together, and Katie never gave up and continued to fight for her dream: “My family has been so unbelievably supportive since day 1. My dad passed away when I was 16 due to a heart attack
and he was always my biggest fan (aside from my mom of course). He knew nothing about the vault, but wanted me to excel at whatever sport I chose. He looked into clinics and camps and would drive me hours every week without any complaint. He definitely had his annoying dad moments, but it was awesome because he stood next to the pit every jump listening and taking in everything my coaches would tell me so that he could learn and understand it too. I have such a soft spot in my heart for the dads of this sport because so many of them remind me of him. It makes me so happy to talk to them and listen to how proud of their kids they are because I know that’s exactly how he was.”
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM Katie Nageotte at the 2016 Reno Pole Vault Summit
Her memories of her dad will always be with her. There is one meet Katie will never forget, and the moment she shared with her dad:
“My favorite meet of all time was not a USA national meet, or an NCAA championship meet (although those were incredible experiences). It was my conference meet sophomore year of high school. I had won the meet and was deciding what height to go for next. I had never cleared 11ft before and just wanted to hit that barrier and the meet record was 11ft. My coach of course wanted me to go for 11’1. Being stubborn, naive, a little dumb, I wanted to go for 11 just to get that foot barrier under my belt. I ran down and cleared it first attempt and ran off the pit to hug my teammate and he goes “we put it at 11’1 without you knowing”. I couldn’t believe it! A meet record! They announced it across the stadium and reality started to sink in. My dad at the time was helping time the 100-meter dash and ran over and gave me the biggest hug with tears in his eyes. I found out later he called my mom, who was at another Nageotte sibling event and couldn’t make it, and told her something to the effect of “I don’t know how I’m going to walk her down the aisle one
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
9
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
day”. It’s a meet that, no matter what else I accomplish in my career, will never compare to any other.”
FUN FACT TOP 3 USA MEN VAULTERS 1. World leader, Sam Kendricks – 5.92 meters (19’5) 2. Logan Cunningham – 5.71 meters (18’8.75) 3. Devin King – 5.70 meters (18’8.5)
Katie’s mom has been her rock since the passing of Katie’s dad. Rather than falling apart, Katie’s mom has been the glue of the family and became the definition of “super-mom”:
“Since he passed, my mom has been incredible. She has supported all of us (me and my 2 siblings) financially and emotionally in the most awe-inspiring way and I don’t have the words to explain how much we appreciate and love her for it. She truly is a saint, hence my #saintdiane tags for her.”
After high school, Katie attended the University of Dayton and continued her pole-vault career. After two years, Katie transferred to Ashland University. There, Katie was a 2-time National Champion and set the Division 2 National Record, since broken by Kristen Hixson with 4.44m (14’6). In college, Katie had her ups and downs. Finding your rhythm can be hard, and like all pole vaulters, Katie had a period of time where she was stuck in a rut: “I would say the biggest difficulty I have experienced was the mental block I went through my
10
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
first two years and part of my 3rd year of college. I was to the point where I couldn’t even take it off the ground from 3-lefts. I had no confidence in myself and I left most practices in tears. I went from being a 13ft high school vaulter to barely clearing 11ft. I felt like such a phony when people from home would ask how my vaulting was going. I would say things like “oh we’re working on things” or “just figuring stuff out” and I felt like a fraud when they’d come back with words of optimism. Vaulting just wasn’t fun and I seriously considered quitting, but I knew I would never forgive myself if I did quit. When I transferred to Ashland, some people told the vault coach (Denny Steele) to just let me be a sprinter, that I had peaked and to not bother working with me. I will never know how he didn’t give up on me, but I owe him everything. He truly saved me.” After finding her groove and becoming the vaulter she is today, Katie has many inspirational people in her life:
“My biggest influences in the vault are my coaches. I’ve been so fortunate to have had many incredible coaches that I’ve learned so much from. My high school coach Dave Godfray set me up with such a good base of fundamentals and a genuine love for the sport. My coach now,
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM Katie Nageotte prepares to vault at the 2016 Reno Pole Vault Summit
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
11
VAULTER
MAGAZINE Katie Nageotte clears bar at 2015 Drake Relays
Roman Botcharnikov, is one of the most knowledgeable people in this sport and his love of the sport, and desire to see me succeed, is so inspiring. I have to say that my college coach Denny is probably my biggest influence
12
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
on my toughest days. He got me out of my mental block that I was convinced I would never get out of, and made me so confident in myself. He is so positive and makes you feel awesome about your vault whether it’s just a
pop-up or full approach. For times that I start to get a little hesitant, or unsure, or have to make milestones like getting on bigger poles, he’s my person. He is not only my coach, but has become a second father to me and
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
“Keeping confidence up is so challenging in this sport (I definitely know firsthand), but staying positive even on a “bad” day is crucial. Acknowledge the things you didn’t do so well, but find the good things no matter how small or unimportant they may seem. I also found that I was very stubborn in that I felt I had to be on a certain size pole or grip because “I’ve been on it before” even though I wasn’t confident and would then run through the whole practice. Having the ability to say “okay I’m just not feeling it today so I’m going down a pole or grip” is a big key as well.
As a professional vaulter, Katie has different workouts and meet schedules than she did in college:
he set me up to achieve things I only ever dreamed I could.”
With the help of her coaches, Katie has learned how to stay positive and be confident in herself, something that is hard to learn:
“In season I usually have one vault practice a week (2 days out of season). I have one day upper body lifting and one day lower body lifting. My sprinting workouts start in the fall with longer distances (300s/200s) and as we get closer to the season they shorten to 150s. During season they shorten even more to 50s and 60s. I have gymnastics days where I do highbar drills. I also throw in plyos as well as technique days which include pole runs and plant drills on the track.”
Drills are a big part in a pole vaulter’s success. Katie does many drills, but she has a couple that she thinks help the most with her vault:
“The drills that I think are the most helpful for me are “Bubkas” (hanging upside down on a high bar with arms straight and hips next to the bar and letting your hips drop to where your knees are next to the bar and then come back to the original position). This helps shoulder and core strength. I also like pole climbing drills (coming from a short approach, like 3 lefts, and gripping like a straight-pole drill, jump up into the take-off and literally try to climb to the top of the pole before you hit the pit). This drill gives you immediate feedback. You have to really jump up at take-off to be able to climb. If you run into the pole, or miss the take-off at all, you will have a very hard time getting to the top. I try to think about jumping before the pole hits the back of the box. My plant is not great by any means, but I don’t run into the pole nearly as badly as I used to and I know this drill has really helped.” Katie has the confidence in herself and the knowledge of her vault she needs to travel alone. Her coaches have encouraged her and reassured her that she knows what she is doing, and that has made her a strong
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
13
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
Katie Nageotte Drake Relays 2015
feel like I’ve gotten to know my vault well enough over the years that I can make good judgement calls. I don’t stress too much if my coach is unable to make it, but it’s definitely comforting to have that second opinion! If you’re ever at a meet your coach can’t be at, don’t be afraid to ask for help. This sport is filled with people who want to help others succeed and jump high and would be more than willing to assist you.”
For meets, Katie has a specific way to prepare. Staying calm and not overwhelming herself, is the best way for her to be ready:
vaulter. At some meets, when her coach is not there, she finds someone to help her catch step or give her feedback if she needs. Because the pole-vault world is full of wonderful people, it’s not hard for Katie to find that help:
14
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
“The pole vaulting world is truly a wonderful community and, for the meets my coach can’t make it to, there is usually someone there (whether another coach, agent, etc) who is able to help catch step and give advice. I
“Physically I try to stick to my normal routine. Training the same way and keeping my nutrition consistent. Towards the end of the season the volume will come down a bit to feel my best at the big competitions. The day of a meet I try to wake up a minimum of 4 hours before the warm up. I eat an hour and a half before I begin to warm up. Mentally I really try to stay relaxed and just in a good mood. Being the girl that I am, I listen to music, and do my hair and makeup trying stay calm, but excited for the meet. I really don’t think much about the vault itself because the more I overanalyze the worse it is for me. I think of maybe
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
one or two key things that I’ll need to focus on like, “send it” (referring to sending my arms/ starting the plant sooner so that I’m not late on the plant) or “get my last 3 steps down” (reminding myself to make my last steps really quick not to slow down or stride long going into the takeoff). Meet days are the days to set your mind aside and let your body do what it knows how to do.” In order to not let negative thoughts take over, Katie focuses that nervous energy into excitement. By doing this, it feeds her adrenaline:
“I try to just focus on those couple key things and block out everything else. This allows my mind, and those negative thoughts, to get out of the way. As far as nerves, I was once told that nervousness and excitement are the exact same feeling in the body, it’s just how your mind perceives it. Granted I could have been told wrong but I loved hearing that! I took that to mean that nerves are good because it means you’re excited. So my best advice is to channel those nerves into adrenaline and fly!”
With so many competitive pole vaulters in the world, Katie can find herself at meets where she is not the best in the field. But instead of being discouraged,
Katie only focuses on what she needs to do. Sometimes it can be hard not to let how others are doing affect you, but Katie has learned that you can be excited for their success and do well yourself: “It can definitely be intimidating, but all that matters is you and the bar. What anyone else does has no effect on your potential or your capability to succeed, and it certainly doesn’t take away from anything you have (and are going to) accomplish. Vaulting is a sport where even the best in the world can no-height and on any given day, it can be YOUR day. Just focus on your jump, be happy for others who are succeeding, but never let their success make you feel like you’re not able to be right out there jumping with them.
On the days that Katie has a bad meet, she lets herself be upset, but then keeps moving forward and doesn’t let it hold her back: “I give myself about 15-20 to be mad or upset immediately after I’m done jumping, but then I really try to look at it from an outside perspective. “Okay, I no-heighted, but I did this well”. Or “I know exactly why I didn’t clear this height and know what to work on and what to do differently next time”. As long as you can take
something constructive from the day, it’s not a bad day. Staying positive on hard days is a major key in this sport.” One of Katie’s best qualities is keeping it all fun. “I know I smile a lot during meets, but it’s because I really am having a blast!” she says. She stays focused, but she doesn’t let any mental blocks get in the way. “Clearing a bar, whether it is opening height or a PR, is just FUN! For me, letting myself enjoy it all keeps me motivated,” says Katie.
As summer meets have begun, Katie’s ultimate goal is to make the Olympic team. “To make the team would be the biggest dream come true!” she says. She has other goals too, and they are to compete in as many Diamond League meets as she can and join the 16-foot-club: “I think everyone looks to hit that next foot barrier and I’m no exception.” As she continues on the Road to Rio, Katie leaves this advice for all vaulters reading:
“Work hard, stay positive, and enjoy it. Take it one day at a time and appreciate the process. As tough as it seems at times, everything happens for a reason and it will take you to exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
15
VAULTER
MAGAZINE Front Row L-R: Jacqueline Jeschka, Sierra Maddox, Haley Holton; second row L-R: Christian Locke, Dylan Rush, Tyler Jourdan, Duncan Ross
16
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
Sierra Maddox, Jacqueline Jeschka, Haley Holton
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
17
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
THE SEMO REDHAWKS By: Sadie Lovett
Located right on the Mississippi River, south of St. Louis, is Southeast Missouri State University where Coach Tim Rademaker has been since 1975. And after being part of SEMO track and field team on and off for 25 years, Coach Rademaker has built a pole vault program he is proud of. Part of that program includes the support of his athletes’ parents who contribute to the program any way they can. They contribute financially to the university’s Copper Dome Society where the money can be used to buy new poles and other pole-vault equipment. One father, Terry Hearn, is a certified track and field official in Illinois, and volunteers to
18
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
officiate pole vault at SEMO home meets: “this is a very generous contribution as it frees me, the coach, to focus on coaching rather than meet/even logistics,” Coach Rademaker tells us. Because Coach Rademaker is an assistant coach, it is against NCAA rules for him to recruit athletes. However, the assistant coaches who do the recruiting know what he wants in his pole vaulters. “I would like to find vaulters who are athletic, even if their mechanics are not perfect. Next, I like to see in a recruit, the key to self-improvement. That key, to me, is the willingness to change. If one is going to improve, something has to
change. Otherwise, the vaulter stays the same. Finally, I would like to see, on the part of the athlete, the most important quality for success in just about any athletic endeavor, and that is the ability to trust. Change and self-improvement cannot occur without the ability to trust. The athlete has to show the willingness to trust their abilities, training, mechanics, and maybe the most important thing, their coach, if they are going to progress in the vault. Lastly, I’d like to see in the athlete/recruit, a level of courage and bravery. It takes a level of courage to make the appropriate changes for selfimprovement. On the physical side, of course, speed is vital. Personally, however, I believe
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
Sierra Maddox
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
19
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
20
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
Front Row, L-R: Sierra Maddox, Haley Holton, Jacqueline Jeschka; Second Row, L-R: Tyler Jourdan, Christian Locke, Coach Tim Rademaker, Ross, Dylan Rush 2016Duncan VAULTER MAGAZINE
21
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
Christian Locke and Coach Rademaker
the mental components are as important maybe more important than the physical components,” Coach Rademaker says.
There are seven SEMO vaulters this year—four men and three women. SEMO record holder, Christian Locke has won pole vault at the Ohio Valley Conference three times. At the 2016 Indoor OVC Championships, Christian set a new indoor school record to 5.18m (17’0”). Christian had a very successful indoor season
22
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
before taking outdoor season off due to a hip injury. Duncan Ross has a personal best of 4.75m (15’7). For the last two years, Duncan has been very dedicated to the decathlon. Freshman Dylan Rush had a high school personal best of 15’6. In his first year as a Redhawk, Dylan bested that personal best to 5.06m (16’7.25) before having to sit out because of mononucleosis. Sophomore Tyler Jourdan was the class 2A Illinois State Champion in 2014. His personal best in high school was 15’7, and in his time
at SEMO, he has jumped 4.85m (15’11).
On the women’s side is 5th year senior, Haley Holton. Three-time Illinois State qualifier with at high school personal best of 12’3, Haley has been a big competitor in OVC pole vault, making several appearances on the medal stand gaining points for her team. Sierra Maddox had a high school personal best of 12’9. She bested that personal best with 4.02m (13’2.25) at the University
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
of South Dakota where she was the 2015 Summit League Indoor Conference Champion. Jacqueline Jeschka is a visiting student from Kassel, Germany where she jumped 10’10½. She is only at SEMO for one year and she walked onto the team in the fall of 2015 after not vaulting for more than two years. “Jacqueline with her personality and sense of humor has been a real pleasure to get to know, and will be greatly missed next year,” says Coach Rademaker.
There are no captains for this vault squad. Each vaulter has their own way to push the others and encourage them to be their best. “Christian and Sierra have a thorough understanding of the vault, and are often like having additional coaches in the program. Dylan leads by example with a tremendous work ethic and singular focus in practice. Haley is the glue that keeps everyone together and moving in the right direction, and in the right places at the right time. She is devoted to the success of not just the vault squad, but the team as a whole,” Coach says about his team. SEMO offers its pole vaulters lots of equipment including the first ever inverter box. “It is a cutout box that allows the vaulter to drop the head down
below the level of the trunk and shoulder to realistically mimic the invert phase of the vault. It requires the vaulter to both “flex in” the bottom
arm, and close-off with the top arm,” Coach says. They also have sliding boxes, a high bar, an invert platform, and will soon have a set of rings.
Front row L-R: Christian Locke, Duncan Ross, Coach Tim Rademaker, Dylan Rush, Tyler Jourdan; Back row L-R: Jacqueline Jeschka, Haley Holton, Sierra Maddox
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
23
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
points in conference meets. Recently, Austin Peay State has developed a strong program with the addition of such athletes as Savanah Amato and Dascha Hix,” Coach Rademaker tells us. “The immediate goal for our program is to qualify for the NCAA Regional competition … On the women’s side Sierra Maddox has the ability to reach that goal, if not in 2016, then certainly over the last two years of her eligibility. After qualifying for Regional competitions, the next goal would be to get an athlete/athletes qualified for the Nationals,” he says. Coach Rademaker has an impressive list of alumni/ alumna vaulters:
Christian Locke School Indoor Record and Personal Best, 5.18 meters
SEMO is a Division 1 school and a member of the Ohio Valley Conference with competitive schools such as Eastern Illinois University, Austin Peay State University, and Tennessee State University. “In the immediate past, the major competition for both our men’s and women’s
24
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
programs has been Eastern Illinois University, which has had such outstanding vaulters as Mick Vicken, Eric Gordon, Jade Riebold, and Sadie Lovett. The conference competitions have been fierce, but friendly and respectful. Both programs have scored their share of
• Bobby Ferguson is the 1987 NCAA Division II National Champion with 5.44m (17’10.25) who is now a physical education teacher in the Toronto area.
• John Schwepker is the 1984 NCAA Division II National Champion for pole vault, and the 1987 NCAA Division II National Champion in the decathlon. John, a 5.18m (17’0) vaulter, and his brother Rich, a 5.00m (16’4.75) vaulter, own and operate Excel Sports Performance and Personal Training Center with two
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
25
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
facilities in the greater St. Louis area.
• Chris Prescott, from Chino, California, now coaches track and field at Chino High School.
• Chris Moore, a 4.87m (16’0) vaulter, is the head track and field coach at Rockwood Summit High School in greater St. Louis area— Chris coached Bethany Buell who was the 2014 NCAA Division I Outdoor National Champion at the University of South Dakota.
• Coach Rademaker’s dentist is pole vault alumni Jim Fox who was a 4.87m (16’0) vaulter. • Jill Schnurbusch, a 4.00m (13’1.5) vaulter, is now a program coordinator in the Child Health and Advocacy Department of Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. • Erica Hayes (Grajalez) is now a physical education teacher and athletic department director at St. Patrick Catholic School in North Carolina.
• Michelle Tanz (Jett) is a professor in the Nursing Department there at SEMO. • Lauren McNemara is the College Relations Consultant at Republic Airways in Indianapolis.
26
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
• Tim Davis, a 5.00m (16’4.75) vaulter, returned to King City, California where he now owns a operates a home construction and remodeling business. A long list, but one that makes Coach Rademaker incredibly proud—he would not be the coach he is today without all his athletes.
With outdoor season coming to an end, Coach Rademaker has his athletes take two weeks off before they begin summer training of a body building and weight training program. At the end of summer, the vaulters start aerobic running workouts to prepare them for fall training. The SEMO track program starts the first week of September with general conditioning. There is a lot of aerobic running and swimming workouts, along with some water aerobic workouts and underwater vaulting. As the pre-season gets closer to indoor season, the team progresses from aerobic workouts to anaerobic workouts, with the idea of peaking for their first indoor meet in December. The team repeats this workout patter during the indoor season and again for outdoor season. The goal is to peak three times during the season: December at the end of preseason, Indoor Conference
Championships, and Outdoor Conference Championships.
This team is very close. During the pre-season they like to take a break from the strenuous workouts and do something different. “Instead of a long run, in years past, we have played golf, Frisbee golf,
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
long bike rides, or underwater vaulting. In regard to social events, once every semester I’m required to prepare either one of my two specialties (the only good thing I know how to cook), a spaghetti dinner or a jambalaya dinner. On these occasions, the meal is followed by a movie. In the past we have
watched such movies as The Sixth Sense because it’s about trust and approaching your fears, The Horse Whisperer because it’s about trust and confidence, and most recently we went to the theatre to see The Revenant because it’s about tough guys!” Coach says.
The SEMO pole vaulters have created a family—a team family they will always remember. The team has a lot to look forward to for the 20162017 season. The men’s team has an Outdoor Conference title to defend. With the help of Coach Rademaker, these vaulters have much more success in their future.
Haley Holton
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
27
VAULTER
MAGAZINE Dylan Rush
28
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM Haley Holton
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
29
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
DIAMARA PLANELL: The Pride of Puerto Rico By: Adele Correale San Miguel
When Diamara Planell Cruz vaulted the Olympic A standard on April 16, 2016, a small commonwealth in the Caribbean rejoiced.
After clearing 4.5 meters at the Mt. Sac Relays in California, Diamara (dee-ah-mar-a) became the 18th athlete to join the delegation from her native Puerto Rico, and the first woman to compete in the pole vault for the island in the Olympic Games. A 4-time All American, Diamara will graduate from the University of Washington, Seattle this month with a degree in sociology and a minor in psychology. Her achievements though, did not come in haste. By the time Diamara was 16 years old she had exactly one recorded mark in the vault.
30
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
Pole vault was still a male-only sport in Puerto Rico and while she jumped an impressive 8’6” at her first meet, her coach did not want her to continue uncontested in an event that did not score for the team. For her junior and senior years, Diamara moved to California. It was there that she picked up a pole again, found a coach, and determinedly finished her high school career with a mark of 11’6”. She hoped to compete for a Division 1 program, specifically for Coach Pat Licari at UW. But sometimes dreams are delayed. New to the states and the confounding college process, Diamara was unable to gain admittance to UW the first time around. She attended San Jose City College for two years
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
where she won the California State Community College title twice. Diamara stayed focused, and in the fall of 2014, transferred to UW-Seattle. Since then, she has been the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion for 2016, Pac-12 runner-up in 2015, and the Pac-12 champion, all while proudly competing for the Puerto Rican national team
and holding the country’s record.
Diamara made this happen. This girl competes. Whether on the runway or in front of the media, Diamara is fully present. Her pole-vault dreams intersected with Olympic opportunity because head games and self-doubt have no place on her runway. She possesses
Diamara competing at the Ibero-American Ath-letic Championships 2016 in Rio de Janiero Photo by Fernando Neris
the composed determination of a campeona, a champion. According to Coach Licari, she has that extra something when it comes to competing:
“Diamara is very talented and very competitive. She has a lot of ability and a lot of potential. She is young as a vaulter and is just starting to figure it out. She can compete at the highest level with the best women in the world. She has the drive to get there. I am excited to see what the next few years bring for her.” Diamara will walk into the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janiero with the advantage of having been there before. She just won the silver medal in the Ibero-American Athletic Championships, a competition for athletes of Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries, which served as a test event for the Olympics.
Diamara’s life right now is dominated by meet preparation, competition, and travel. Though she wishes for more time with her family, their support is evident. YouTube has uploads of her family watching her vault and celebrating her clearances. Her mother lives full-time on the island; her father is recently retired military
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
31
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
who splits his time between Oregon and Puerto Rico; and her younger brother Derek plays football for Western Oregon. Puerto Rico has been making headlines lately for its battered economy and multi-
Diamara Planell Cruz at Olympic Stadium, Rio de Janiero, moments after winning the silver medal Photo by Fernando Neris
32
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
billion dollar deficit. To watch the news, little hope is evident. But a small group of athletes under the umbrella of FAPUR, Federacion Athletismo Puerto Rico, will showcase the best of the island’s athletes, every one of them sustained by national pride and a bone-deep,
unshakeable sense of identity with their mother country. Because even in the midst of extreme crisis, los puertoriquenos manage to live, love one another, manifest their dreams, and leave a personal legacy. Diamara is proof.
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
33
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
34
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
A successful jump for Diamara at the IberoAmerican Athletic Championships at Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janiero Photo by Fernando Neris
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
35
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
FROM THE GROUND UP A guide for the returning Masters Pole Vaulter By: “The Vaultin’ Geezer” Mike Soule M60 pole vaulter
“aged” vaulter who had this issue. So the hope is that my musings on the subject might help you fix this problem if it’s one you are experiencing.
For this fourth installment of my series, I’m going to address a problem that I had technically during my come-back to pole vaulting. That problem was a late “roundhouse” drop and plant. In many of the meets that I have competed in, I have noticed that I was not the only
36
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
If you are having trouble visualizing what I am referring to, picture the vaulter who is running down the runway carrying the pole with his right hand behind his hip. As he closes in on the box, you see that right hand go back behind his body, his right shoulder turned away from the box to
accommodate the motion, the long sweeping motion of that right hand behind the body up above the head, and finally the downward stab into the box. The reasons that this scenario cannot produce desired results should be obvious, but if I did this after a 30-year layoff there’s a good chance that during your comeback you might be doing it too. Breaking down the scenario: When you have the right hand too far behind the body during the run up it can cause a couple of undesirable results. First detriment is loss of potential speed. The reason is simple. You can’t run as fast with your shoulders twisted as you can with them squared. In
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
the book “Beginner to Bubka” written by the late Alan Launder, he points out that optimum running posture has the left (or front) hand anywhere from 6 to 9 inches in front of the sternum. There it will serve as the fulcrum of the plant. The right hand (rear hand) should be at or close to the front of the hipbone. Picture if you had a front pocket in your jump shorts. With the pole supported in the crotch of your open right hand, you should be able to stick your little finger in the pocket. The pole tip will be off to the left with this run-up. That’s OK because the correct plant motion will bring the tip in line with the box. Grip width would be roughly the spacing that you would use for a pullup. That is pretty tough to do if you allow the right hand to be too far behind the body. The center on sternum would also be difficult with the right hand too far behind. It would draw the left hand away from its sternum positioning, and across the body so you would look more like a flag bearer in a parade than a pole vaulter. All this to say, without the correct posture in the approach, you cannot reach your maximum speed or power at impact with the box. We all know the faster you can get down the runway,
the higher you can grip and the higher bars you can clear. Your approach run should feature squared shoulders to the box from start to take off.
The roundhouse transition from carry to plant also prevents your plant and take off from the needed force required to get the pole to vertical quickly. It does this by requiring you to stab the pole tip down into the box with a downward motion. The plant and take off must be “up and forward”. I wish I had $5 for every time I told a vaulter, who I have coached, that everything is “up and forward”. The basics of a correct pole drop to plant can be found online, or in the book “Beginner to Bubka” by the late Alan Launder. In the book, he promotes a five-count transition that obviously has been successful. I prefer the approach that Derek Miles, Pole Vault coach at University of South Dakota and former Olympian, teaches. He simplifies it down to three basic steps. Both methods utilize and promote the same pole carry and drop. The counting is different. Where as Launders counts start on a right foot strike, Miles starts on a left foot strike. His approach
is hands forward 6 to 9 inches, right hand up past the ear (he calls it “answer the phone”), and plant with the right hand at its highest point coinciding with jump off. I find this approach the easiest to coach because of its start with a left foot strike. The point is, whatever works best for you is what you should do. As I mentioned at the top of this article, I had a bad habit of turning my shoulders and doing the roundhouse plant when I first came back to pole vaulting. It took me a lot of reps, but the way I fixed it was pretty simple. Because I’m a geezer, I have a number of the stretchy back support belts lying around the house. I took a piece of cardboard and stapled it to the belt so it would extend off my back to the right side. I did three left and full run plants. The idea was to keep the right elbow from hitting the cardboard during the transition from carry to plant. When one strip of cardboard was destroyed, I’d just replace it with another. This exercise was a part of my jump days for an entire summer.
Another good practice for any of these fundamental drills is to get a video of you doing
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
37
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
FUN FACT TOP 3 USA WOMEN VAULTERS 1. World leader, Sandi Morris – 4.83 meters (15’10) 2. Jennifer Suhr – 4.82 meters (15’9.75) 3. Kylie Hutson – 4.66 meters (15’3.5)
them. The video will show you if your shoulders are square and if your plant is up and forward. An added plus is that while you are watching your video, you are also taking that two-minute break that I mentioned in the weight training article. As it is in weight training, so it is in your drill work and jumping. A trip down the runway is basically a set of reps. Therefore the rest time between reps or down the runway also applies here. For most of us, we are our own coaches. Therefore, a lot of our training and drill work is performed in solitude. As it was with my belt and cardboard apparatus, we must
come up with our own ways of fixing things. Key thing is when you’re dreaming up something that might help you figure a part of this out, always keep safety in mind. Murphy’s law is definitely alive and well when it comes to us old guys figuring out a tool that might help us jump better.
In closing I will once again invite you to send me a question that pertains to your comeback or vaulting endeavor. I will answer your question directly and if it applies, I would like to include the question and my answer in a future column. That question can be sent to vaultingeezer@yahoo.com.
YOUR TO DO LIST: 1) Mind your plants. It is spring/early summer after all. Along with your tomatoes, cucumbers and flowers in your home garden make sure your pole vault plant is up and forward. Also practice squared shoulders throughout run-up to plant. 2) Keep track and monitor your progress. Watch your videos and make sure you are doing things right. Remember for the most part you are your own coach.
Up next, Let’s go National.
38
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016
JUNE 2016 ISSUE
WWW.VAULTERMAGAZINE.COM
2016 VAULTER MAGAZINE
39
VAULTER
MAGAZINE
40
VAULTER MAGAZINE 2016