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2012 the vaulter magazine
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r contents e b m Nove FROM THE EDITOR
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Stacy Dragila is on the Move
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ISU Keeps Coming Through Shining
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It’s a Family Affair
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Bound to Run & Run to Bound
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Kay Glynn Shows How to keep it Young
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38 Photo by Michael Arnold Idaho State University
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FROM THE EDITOR We are happy to bring you a dose of much needed inspiration in our November issue. No matter what age of an athlete you are, this month has something for you. After reading what we have in store, it will be impossible to walk away without feeling uplifted. The vaulters and schools we have featured this month have worked hard to make dreams come true and are examples of what can happen through perseverance. Through raising a family, running a dance studio and health issues, Kay Glynn has kept herself in shape and is still competing around the college circuit at age 59. Even thought she did have an athletic background, the most amazing part is that Glynn only started pole vaulting at age 50 (less than 10 years ago). Glynn has also managed to pass down her athleticism to her children and her daughter played a role in her vaulting start. Her attitude is so positive and encouraging. You won’t want to miss her story. Coach Dave Nielson has been at Idaho State University for 30 years as head track and field coach. In his impressive career he has trained some amazing athletes, such as Stacy
Dragila who is also featured in this issue. In spite of suffering a great loss, ISU has managed to stick together as a team and enjoy much success. They also have an impressive list of alumni who have remained a part of the ISU team by coming back to help out. The family atmosphere they have acquired and the way they work together can serve as a model for any team to follow.
We also have John Curtis Christian School featured in November. This school has managed to keep a family legacy going strong and overcome the heartache that hit their state of Louisiana after hurricane Katrina. Head track and field coach, Preston Curtis, and pole
vault coach, Todd Duvio, are getting their athletes to high levels of success. Their track and field team is coming out on top and their two vaulters are jumping amazing heights. This school is a shining example of a team model as well.
Last, but certainly not least, Stacy Dragila has shared some of her journey with us. Our feature on her gives fun details about how she became the first ever female vaulter to win a gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games. We also learn about what she has been doing since, what her future plans are and how her relationship with her Coach Dave Nielson shaped her career. Dragila helped change the game for women when it comes to pole vaulting and faced a lot of adversity along the way. Instead of giving up, she was determined to prove her doubters wrong and create a way. Don’t miss reading about this determined athlete and what Stacy Dragila is about to try and get going up in Idaho. Thank you again for reading. We hope to continue getting out these inspiring stories, so keep a look out for more to come. Doug Bouma VAULTER Magazine
Editor
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Stacy Dragila is on the Move By: Michelle Walthall Stacy Dragila, the first female Olympic gold medalist in the pole vault, got her start with pole vaulting in 1992 (going into 1993) when her coach casually asked her to try it. Coach Dave Nielsen, of Idaho State University, had a plan, but did he know it would result in creating a Women’s Pole Vault pioneer? According to her, Nielsen was looking for a heptathlete when he recruited Dragila from her junior college. He got that, plus
much more. Here is what Dragila has to say about her start in pole vaulting:
“I was a heptathlete for Dave, and a 400 hurdler and a 100 hurdler. One day he came out to one of the heptathlete workouts and we were reading our workout, just moaning and groaning because it was one of those long days you just don’t even think you’re ever going to get through. And he walked up all cheery and bubbly like he is and he said, ‘hey do you girls want to pole vault today?’ We looked at each other and we said, ‘women don’t pole vault, what are you talking about?’ He’s like, ‘well who says?’ And I said, ‘well it doesn’t exist at the conference level, let alone the national level. Why would we be doing it?’ And he goes, ‘just for fun.’ I said, ‘yeah, but what about this workout?’ He said, ‘if you guys do this today you won’t have to do that,’ so of course we said ‘we’ll try the pole vault today’.”
Stacy Dragila
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“And so my team mates and I went and grabbed some poles. He just started teaching us some low level drills across the grass and we were actually just really horrible at it. [We] didn’t know how to hold it didn’t know how to jump over the tip of the pole and just really thought we were wasting our time. But we surely got out of that really hard workout, so we thought we’ll just keep doing this all day until he tells us to put the poles away. I just really didn’t even understand the whole thought behind it
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Olympics as a female, although they were not going to be contested anyway, and would vault only at the national level. “I had gone over seas many times to compete against my European competitors between those years [1992/1993 to 1998] and then here [in the US] at the national level we introduced it at the national level as an expedition in 1996 at the Olympic Trials back in Atlanta, we were there,” Dragila says of her time spent getting women’s pole vaulting up and running. “They wanted to see if it would stick and a lot of the men in the sport, a lot of our agents in the sport when I would be over in Europe they would laugh at me and the girls that I went over to compete with. They thought it was just a novelty- the women are just doing it because they’re wearing something skimpy and they need something to really excite track and field and women with poles are just enough interest to get people buying tickets into the stadium.” Dragila, with Coach Nielsen by her side, sure proved the
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doubters wrong with the success of women’s vaulting and things have certainly changed in spite of those that might not like it. “There’ve been some guys that are really pushing for us,” she says of the responses, “but I think a lot of those older
hammer get developed at the college level.” Part of his belief in women’s pole vaulting could also be attributed to Nielsen, while in college, spending time in the gymnastic facility after his injury learning the top end of the vault. He saw that once you left the ground the pole vault becomes a Lauren Bartsch gymnastic maneuver and women could definitely do it.
guys who have been in the sport for a long time, I don’t know, just always thought that certain things are for men and men only. My coach has just always been about gender equity. He’s also helped the women’s
With women’s vaulting finally being accepted, Dragila was then on her way to her gold medal victory at the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia. Once again Coach Nielsen was there with her to guide and cheer her on while competing against other phenomenal female vaulters such as Tatiana Grigorieva (Australia), who won the silver medal, and Vala Flosadottir (Iceland), who won the bronze. Dragila tells us a little bit about her preparation for her big Olympic win: “Going into the year of 1999 I wasn’t the favorite going in. Emma George from Australia was the favorite, and she had been the favorite for the last
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2 or 3 years. I’d been kind of competing with her, but never at the same level as her. Unfortunately for her she had a really bad accident training one day. She went up and I think barely hit the pit or missed the pit and came down right past the standard. So obviously
that competition and I tied her record. From there it gave me confidence going into that next year of the Olympics to just keep going with that momentum of that win building onto the 2000 series.”
her mental state was shaken. And going into the 99 World Championships I didn’t really know that, I just went in there saying I’m going to do the best I can and she had a really tough time at it and then I just kept focusing on what I needed to do and I ended up winning
confidence, but even the most confident need a boost at times and Dragila was no different. Thanks to great coaching and personal strength, she was able to find ways to deal with the pressure.
She may have built up
jitters’ I actually went down and did their [Australia] winter series in February, which is their summer season,” Dragila says of her Olympic preperation. “Dave thought the Olympics, the Olympics, the Olympics- I need to get that out of her head so when she goes to Australia
Stacy Dragila and Augusta Saint Onge, Derek Bouma
“To get through the ‘Games
for the Games she’s been there and kind of done that...it was all about sustained focus and I’m glad that I did that.” “I think my strong point is I was just always a really strong competitor. Whoever I went up against it wasn’t frightening for me. I was just always up for the
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Kyle Pater, Conner Rouse
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Clovis Street Vault 2012 Coaches and Athletes
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ISU Keeps Coming Through Shining By: Michelle Walthall
Coach Dave Nielson of the Idaho State University Bengal Tigers, in Pocatello, Idaho, has one impressive career behind him. “This is my 30th year as head track and field coach at Idaho State University (ISU),” he says. “Prior to that, I served as a full time assistant women’s coach for one year at Wisconsin and as part time assistant at Iowa and ISU. I began as a jumps coach, primarily pole vault, and then began coaching the decathlon. I later picked up the hammer throw out of interest, fascination and fun.” With such a solid and steady career, it is no wonder Idaho State University is our featured school this month.
From the way the ISU track and field team is described by Coach Nielson, they seem to enjoy a family atmosphere. And, like any family, they have
had their ups and downs. Here’s what Coach Nielson has to say about what they have been through as a team recently:
“The ISU program has three full time coaching positions. However, sadly we are missing one at the moment. We began the year with a tragic accident that took the life of Coach Jackie Poulson. Jackie lost her life trying to save the life of a family dog. Both were electrocuted in an irrigation canal which was charged by a fallen power line. In a series of tragic events, it also took the life of her fiancé’s best friend and father, all trying to help the other. We, as a team and personally, grieve the loss and are in the process of healing. Jackie was an elite level heptathlete as well as an inspiring coach. Jackie also pole vaulted for fun and to enhance her coaching expertise. She
Vanessa Bawden in a practice when she was a freshman (February 2011)
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attended the Pole Vault Summit and competed in 2007.”
In spite of their loss, the Bengal team has banded together and refuses to give up. Through the hard times they still have received help and support from their community of alumni, as well as keeping up the hard work themselves and helping each other reach great heights.
“I am so fortunate to have Sam Pierson and wife Emmy helping me,” Coach Nielson tells us. “Sam is a former NCAA all America athlete and graduate of our program. He is a graduate of ISU’s nursing program and is currently working in Pocatello at the regional medical center. Emmy is a former outstanding Bengal vaulter and I am so lucky that they are willing to volunteer their time. They
Samantha Berryman is having a “oops” vault in February of 2011. This was her first full year of vaulting. She is also our top heptathlete. Pitcure taken in in Holt Arena.
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This is Mike Arnold going over 5 meters at our December 2011 Tie Dye Meet. This is an intersqaud/alumni event we hold every year. This is in our indoor facility called Holt Arena.
all of them to stay active and to participate in a variety of activities and to get away from vaulting for at least a month. Pole vaulting is such a great event, but it is also an event that one should also hunger for. A little time away keeps the hunger and specialness alive!”
In addition to their family atmosphere, tenacity and Coach Nielson’s sound training methods, the ISU track and field team has the privilege of learning from some top athletes that have graduated from their own program. Coach Nielson’s pride in his former and current athletes is evident as he talks about the success of some of his famous competitors and how they work with the current ISU team:
“Unquestionably our most famous alumnus is Stacy Dragila. I started Stacy vaulting in 1993 after receiving a call from a friend and former high school competitor, Steve Ford. He called me, out of the blue, to tell me that the state of Iowa was eliminating the boy’s pole vault from the high school events. I hadn’t spoken to Steve in about 20 years and it was nice to hear from him and, since I had been living in Idaho for the past ten years, I felt helpless to offer much support. I saw the potential for a domino effect of losing vault programs around the country since it is an expensive event and, at the time, single gender. That is when I decided to offer women’s vaulting as a non-traditional collegiate offering. We started it as a jumps quadrathlon and I convinced our heptathletes to take part. Stacy was part of that group. It created quite a stir and gals from other teams were certainly intrigued and wanted to be involved. The next year we hosted a women’s vault at all of our indoor meets before the start of the “regular” events. It wasn’t long before it was clear that Stacy was in a league of her own and the rest is history as she became the first World Champion both indoors and outdoors and later the first
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Olympic Champion.”
and much due to the efforts of Coach Jackie. Our mission is to make the best opportunity for all of our athletes, especially those she recruited,” Coach Nielson says.
“Our other very notable athlete is Paul “Tuxedo Man” Litchfield. I met Paul when Stacy and I put on a vault camp at Stacy’s high school in Auburn, California. I was very impressed with He goes on to say of their competition season his enthusiasm and talent and recruited him to this year: “Idaho State University is a NCAA be an athlete at Idaho State. Paul went on to be Division I program and we compete in the Big Sky an all America athlete and a Big Sky Conference Conference. As a team, we will compete in seven champion in both vault meets both indoors and and decathlon. Beyond outdoors. We are looking Samantha Berryman picture taken 2011 their athletic talents, I am forward to a great season.” at our Holt Arena indoor meet. so proud of Paul and Stacy as great ambassadors And as far as the size of of our sport. I only wish the team goes, ISU has had that our 1988 NCAA high plenty of track and field jump champ and 1992 athletes come through. Olympian, Amber WeltyHere is what Coach Cnossen, would have had Nielson says about team the chance to vault as size: “I don’t have enough well. She’s another great fingers and toes to count person, talented and a all those who vaulted for super ambassador for us in any given year. I enjoy track and field.” being eight deep in those competitive enough to ISU also offers a great compete at our conference facility to train in as well championship.” as the wonderful athletes and coaches who are there If you are a vaulter to help. Coach Nielson who is thinking about says, “We have two pits and attending ISU, you will two indoor and outdoor find an open minded runways. We also have a coach in Nielson. And, reasonable selection of even for athletes without poles to choose from. In addition, we regularly a lot of experience, he has the will to get them access a gymnastics gym that I used to own. trained and where they need to be. “I don’t spend This makes for a fun and good developmental much time recruiting pole vaulters,” says Nielson. atmosphere.” “It is not that I don’t want vaulters, obviously, but that I can offer an opportunity to vault. Some A great season is expected this year for the of the best vaulters coming from our program Bengals. “We have a very large group of vaulters came to ISU as athletes who never vaulted before this year with lots of hopes and expectations. Our or had very little experience. I welcome all and overall recruiting class for all events exceeded 50 encourage all to try this wonderful event.”
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Allison Stokke
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Dustin DeLeo
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It’s a Family Affair
at John Curtis Christian School By: Michelle Walthall For ten years Preston Curtis, grandson of the school founder, has been the head coach for John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, Louisiana in track and field, cross country and football on the elementary through High school levels. “He is a Curtis,” says Pole Vault Coach, Todd Duvio. “Coaching is in his blood. His father, both of his brothers, his uncle and his sons, his aunt’s son and other men married into the Curtis family Dylan Duvio
are also coaches.” When it comes to track and field at John Curtis, it is certainly a family affair as generations of athletes continue to compete, train and coach for this wonderful team that’s making its mark.
Duvio, who is a non faculty pole vault certified NFHS and LHSAA coach, says, “[I] started out as just a parent taking his sons to a pole vault club, the school had no pole vault coach. [I] went to every one of [my] sons’ practices from 6th grade till now and videoed each practice. After learning a ton from the club coach, [I] got certified and [am] now a non faculty coach (owning a restaurant as [my] career). While as the John Curtis pole vault coach [I] coached my oldest son, Dalton Duvio (Stanford pole vaulter), to 17’1” as well as Dylan Duvio, senior at John Curtis, to 16’6” as a junior.”
The Patriot track and field team has three faculty coaches, in addition to Duvio and one other non faculty coach,
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making five in all. Dalton Duvio also stops by to help the team when he’s in town. The team has only two vaulters according to Coach Duvio, but he speaks of them highly with good reason as we can tell from their struggles, their studying of the sport, and their heights and accomplishments. “Dylan Duvio has vaulted 16’6” [and has been] very close to 17’ several times,” Duvio tells us. “Alyx Trip, [who was] pretty much out her junior year due to [a] fracture in [her] foot, [has a PR of] 10’9”.” “Dylan has qualified for the State Championships since his freshman year; he was a two time state champion in 2012 winning both indoor and outdoor. Dylan has won the USATF and AAU National Championships several times,” Duvio continues. “Alyx Tripp, even though she only competed in one meet which she had to stop due to her foot, vaulted in the District Championship taking two jumps and qualified for Regionals. She took two
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Dylan Duvio, Doug Frawley
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other athletes have the chance to experience the JCCS facilities as well. Training does not end when the season does. They offer the John Curtis Summer Speed and Conditioning Camp. Taking into account the success of the track and field team and John Curtis’ experienced staff, vaulters attending this camp have much to gain by attending. Mardi Gras Track Club and working with Vault Coach Doug
Fraley are also options for the JCCS team during their off season.
If the Patriots continue to keep up their hard work and training we should continue to see great things come from this team. They have some great coaches and athletes for others to learn from as well. It’s hard to tell whether it’s getting through national disasters in
their state, injuries, just love of the sport, experience or a combination of all of the above that has kept this family unit/ team competing so well. Either way John Curtis Christian School has managed to make a name and will hopefully continue doing so.
Tim Mack, Dylan Duvio
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Bound to Run & Run to Bound
Adding rhythm & explosion to your run & take off By: Bubba Sparks In my first article two months ago I referenced the renowned coach, Dave Johnston’s approach run chart based on physics of the vault. What does it take to jump a certain height can be found here - www.bubbapv. com/Pages/dj.htm I will be referring to it often in this article. As anyone who sets goals knows, if I’m a 15’ (4.57m) vaulter and I want to jump 17’ (5.18m), then I might take a look at this chart and see how I can step up to that level physically. Now before I start, let me tell you that how you run in the vault and how you do these drills are two very different things. But these exercises can help you build plyometric response without the same tear down you will feel from a full plyo assault.
NOTE - My friend, Brian Fitzgerald studies sprinting the way we do pole vaulting, so he is my go to guy to learn and test out my theories and how they may apply to reality. For example, he told me that in the Olympic 100m, all runners are within ½ stride (one step) of each other in length, as far as the number of steps taken in the race. I find that fascinating because Bolt is much taller
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than the others, but those are the facts. What separates these athletes then is ground contact time. If you drop a tennis ball on the floor it doesn’t bounce Through this type of training you can increase your power and decrease your ground contact time.
As athletes we are genetically blessed or cursed by a semi fixed turnover rate. That said, we can increase our efficiency with sprint drills, our “effective natural stride length” with strength and flexibility, and
our ground contact time with plyos. So today is about applying rhythmical plyos to running exercises using DJ’s chart.
I made a “Stride Rope” which marked off what each stride should be to jump a certain height. In fact, I color coded it with paint so I could have a 6’ (15’6”), 6’3” (16’6”), 6’6” (17’6”), 6’9” (18’6”, 7’ (19’6”). This would cover goals of everyone I was coaching. The rope went out to 18 lefts or 36 steps for speed endurance purposes. Partial sample below. Bubba Sparks
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As far as training, Glynn keeps it simple with her pit on her farm. She says, “For several years, I have competed unattached each year at about 10 college meets across Iowa…College coaches have been great to offer me advice and I’ve attended a few sessions at clubs in the Kansas City area. I video tape most of my pole vault sessions to see what I’m doing and those
videos don’t lie…I have been coached through e-mail by Bob Banhagel…He is Jake Blankenship’s grandpa.”
If all goes well with her health, as she may have a surgery coming up, we will see more from Glynn in the 2013 college indoor season, Iowa State and at The Wichita Open/ Masters Indoor Meet.
We can’t help but route for this motivated lady and hope she stays competing and does very well.
“One of my favorite quotes that I think about often comes from the senior games at Topeka,” Glynn says. “You don’t stop playing games when you grow old. You grow old when you stop playing games!”
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