September 2014 Issue of Vaulter Magazine

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contents

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FROM THE EDITOR

RULE 181 POLE VAULT

Welcome to a New School Year!

Lady Aztecs Want “5 Over 14’ in ‘15”!

Starting Over

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Photo by Troy White

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FROM THE EDITOR Now is the time of year where things get busy. School is starting again, fall sports are starting up again; things are just hectic. We have some very interesting articles this month that will give you something worth stopping and enjoying.

Bubba Sparks has written more wonderful advice for us to take in. This month he is talking about starting over with a clean slate. In training, and in life, starting over has its benefits and Bubba has an insightful perspective on this. Please catch this master vaulter’s words of wisdom.

perspective from San Diego State University’s all-women pole vault team. That’s right – all women! Ladies, get ready to learn about a great team fueled by girl power! You are sure to enjoy learning about this team and what they are accomplishing. It is amazing!

We look forward to a great pole vaulting season. Good luck to all of you, wherever you may be at this moment in time. Stay tuned for more great things to come.

Editor Doug Bouma editor@thevaultermag.com

Penny Hanson has graced us with more of her wisdom as well. She reminds us that getting into college does not mean we have to give up who we are or stress out about getting involved in activities we don’t care for. However, she does let us know that planning ahead is very important; you will see why when you read her article.

Make sure to listen carefully to what she has to say this month.

And a special story we have this month is a unique

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Jacob Flores

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RULE 181 2014 COMPETITION RULES The following subdivisions shall apply to both the High Jump and the Pole Vault: • The initial height of the crossbar and the subsequent heights to which the crossbar shall be raised shall be determined by the Games Committee, and shall be announced to the competitors before the commencement of the competition. In jump-offs to decide ties for first place, the bar will be raised and lowered in accordance with Rule 181.9(d).

NOTE: For Youth Athletics exception, see Rule 302.5(o).

• All measurements must be made in accordance with

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POLE VAULT

Rule 148, perpendicularly from the ground to the lowest part of the upper side of the bar. Any measurement of a new height shall be made before competitors attempt such height. A new measurement shall also be made when a new crossbar is substituted for a broken one. In all cases of attempts at record heights, the judges should check the measurement of the bar when the bar has been placed at the record height and they must recheck the height before each subsequent record attempt if the bar has been displaced for any reason or touched since last measured.

NOTE: Judges should ensure, before commencing competition, that the underside and front of the crossbar are distinguishable, and that the bar is always replaced with the same surface uppermost and the same surface to the front.

• No marks shall be placed in any pit or landing area.

• In scratch competitions, the competitors shall compete in the order drawn by lot, except as permitted under Rule 180.9 (a), (b) and (c). In handicap competitions, the competitor with the greatest allowance shall make the first trial, and so on. Each competitor shall have the opportunity to make an

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attempt, or to forego such opportunity in the order drawn; those who have failed shall have a second opportunity in the same order and those who have failed a second time shall have a third opportunity in the same order.

• In non-championship competition, in the discretion of the Games Committee, vertical jump competitions may be held in a different format to that provided under this rule, including limiting the total number of heights or trials which a competitor may attempt.

completed the competition, the Referee shall deem that such absent competitor has forfeited the right to continue in the competition once the period for one further trial has elapsed.

NOTE: The effect of this Rule is that a competitor may forego second or third attempts at a particular height (after failing

the first or second time) and still jump or vault at a higher height.

• Unless there is only one competitor remaining who has won the competition: (a) The

bar shall never be raised by less than 2cm in the High Jump and 5cm in the Pole Vault after each round; and Stephen Sousa

• A competitor shall have the discretion to commence jumping or vaulting at the starting height or at any subsequent height. A competitor who forgoes a trial at a height thereby forfeits the right to jump again at that height. Such competitor may, however, jump at that height in a jumpoff to break a tie for first place. Three consecutive failures, regardless of the height at which such failures occur, disqualifies the competitor from further competition except in the case of a jump-off to break a tie for first place. If a competitor is not present when all other competitors who are present have

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MAGAZINE Leonard Bellgardt IV NOTE: It is a foul if the crossbar is displaced by the pole hitting the crossbar unless in the judge’s opinion, an effort was made by the competitor to push the pole away from the crossbar when the athlete released the pole.

Placing - Pole Vault: •

•

•

• (b) The

increment of the raising of the bar shall never increase.

(c) A

competitor who has won the competition is entitled to continue jumping or vaulting until he/she has forfeited the right to compete further. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Rule, the heights to which the bar is to be raised shall be decided after consulting the competitor, except in combined events competition.

• When it is clear that the bar has been displaced by a force not associated with the competitor (e.g., a gust of wind)

• If such displacement occurs after the competitor has cleared the bar without touching it, the attempt shall be considered successful, and • If such displacement occurs under any other circumstances, a new attempt will be awarded.

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•

• • •

If two or more competitors have the same best heights, the procedure to decide places is the following:

The competitor with the lowest number of jumps at the height which was their best height in the competition shall be awarded the higher place.

If applying (a) will not decide, the competitor with the lowest total of failures throughout the competition up to and including the height last cleared shall be awarded the higher place.

If applying (b) will not decide, the competitors involved shall be awarded the same place unless it concerns first place.

If it concerns first place, the competitors tying shall jump-off, described as follows, unless otherwise decided either in advance according to the Technical Regulations applying to the competition, or before the start of the event by the appropriate Referee. If no jumpoff is held, including where the relevant competitors at any stage decide not to jump further, the tie for first place shall stand. This rule shall not apply to the Combined Events.

Tying competitors must make a trial at every height until a decision is reached.

Each competitor has one trial at each height.

The jump-off shall start at the next height, determined in accordance with Rule 181.1, after the height last cleared by the tying competitors.

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•

•

If no decision is reached, the bar shall be lowered (if all have failed) or raised (if two or more have cleared) by 2cm in the High Jump and 5cm in the pole vault.

A competitor who does not jump at any height automatically forfeits any claim to the higher place. If only one other competitor remains, that competitor is declared the winner regardless of whether that height is attempted.

2014 USATF Competition Rules • 89

B cleared 1.88m, and A failed that height. B, therefore, was awarded first place and A second place.

(e)

If it concerns any other place, the competitors shall be awarded the same place in the competition.

Pole Vault Apparatus •

NOTE: The following illustrates the application of subparagraph 9d, resolving a tie for first place in the High Jump or Pole Vault.

Heights announced by the Chief Judge at the beginning of the competition: 1.75m, 1.80m, 1.83m, 1.86m, 1.88m, 1.90m,.....

Uprights - Any style or kind of uprights or posts may be used provided they are rigid.

In the High Jump, the uprights should be sufficiently tall to exceed each height to which the bar is raised by at least 10cm. For the Pole Vault, cantilevered uprights shall be used. For the Pole Vault, it is required that the metallic structure of the base of the uprights be covered with padding of appropriate material in order to provide protection to an athlete who may land on it.

NOTE: The uprights and landing area of the High Jump should be positioned 2 X 0 X 2 such that there is 2 X 0 0 1 clearance of at least 10cm between them 3 3 and the landing area when in use, to avoid accidental displacement of the crossbar by the movement of the landing area causing contact with the uprights.

ComHeight and Performance (m) Total Jump Off (m) Final petitor 1.75 1.80 1.83 1.86 1.88 1.90 1.92 Fails 1.88 1.86 1.88 Place A B C

0

X0 --

X0 0

X0

0

--

X0

X0

X0

X0

--

--

--

XX--

XXX

0 = cleared x = failed -- = did not jump

X

XXX

All jumpers, A, B, and C, cleared 1.86m, and all three failed the next height that they attempted (C going out at 1.90, A and B at 1.92m). Since C had more total failures than A and B up to and including the height last cleared, C is awarded third place (see subparagraph 8(b)). Since A and B have the same number of failures, they must jump off to determine first place. The next height in the announced progression, after the tying height of 1.86m, is 1.88m. 1.88m, therefore, is the height at which the jump-off must start. The tie for first was broken in the jump-off when

•

Crossbar - The crossbar shall be of fiberglass or other suitable material, circular in crosssection. The diameter of the circular bar shall be at 3cm (± 1mm).

The crossbar shall consist of three parts: the circular bar and two end pieces, each 30- 35mm wide and 15-20cm long, for the purpose of resting on the supports of the uprights. These end pieces shall be hard and smooth. They shall be circular

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or semicircular with one clearly defined flat surface on which the bar rests on the crossbar supports (see Figure 7). These flat surfaces may not be higher than the center of the vertical cross- section of the crossbar.

The crossbar shall have no bias and, when in place, shall sag a maximum of 2cm for the high jump and 3cm for the pole vault.

•

•

SUGGESTED CONTROL: Hang a 3kg weight in the middle of the crossbar when in position. It may sag a maximum of 7cm (High Jump) or 11cm (Pole Vault) with the end pieces and supports remaining in complete contact •

• •

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Crossbar in the Pole Vault - The crossbar shall not be less than 4.48m nor more than 4.52m in length. The maximum weight of the crossbar shall be 2.25kg.

Indicator Lines -

Pole Vault: A white line 1cm wide shall be drawn on the ground at right angles to the axis of the runway, such that the edge of the line nearer to the competitor shall coincide with the back end of the box.

This line shall be prolonged as far as the outside edge of the uprights, and may also go on the surface of the landing bed. This will facilitate the determination of the zero point and the checking of the uprights.

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End Space - There shall be a space of at least 1cm between the ends of the crossbar and the uprights for the high jump.

Support for Crossbar in Pole Vault - The crossbar shall rest on pegs so that if it is touched by the competitor or the pole, it will fall easily to the ground in the direction of the landing area. The pegs shall be without notches or indentations of any kind, of uniform thickness throughout and not more than 13mm in diameter. They must not extend more than 55mm from the uprights, which should extend 3540mm above the pegs. The distance between the pegs shall not be less than 4.30m or more than 4.37m. The pegs may not be covered with rubber or with any other material that has the effect of increasing friction.

NOTE: To facilitate the use of a landing area 6m wide (see paragraph 19, below), the pegs supporting the crossbar may be placed upon extension arms attached to the uprights thus allowing the uprights to be placed wider apart, without increasing the length of the crossbar.

•

Take-Off Box for Pole Vault - The box shall be constructed of a suitable material sunk level with

the surface of the runway, preferably with rounded upper edges. It shall measure 1m in length measured along the inside of the bottom of the box, 60cm in width at the front end and tapering to 15cm in width at the bottom of the stop board.

The length of the box at runway level and the depth of the stop board are determined by the angle of 105 degrees formed between the base and the stop

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First Session Saturday Night Vaults

board. The base of the box shall slope from runway level at the front end to a vertical distance below ground level of 20cm at the point where it meets the stop board. The box should be constructed in such a manner that the sides slope outward and end next to the stop board at an angle of approximately 120 degrees to the base. The box should be painted white.

If the box is constructed of

wood, the bottom shall be lined with 2.5mm sheet metal for a distance of 80cm from the front of the box. Diagrams showing the construction of the pole vault box appear in Figure 5.

•

Landing Areas - Where it is feasible, the landing area for the High Jump should measure not less than 6m long (parallel to the crossbar) by 4m wide;

for the Pole Vault it should measure not less than 6.15m long (perpendicular to the crossbar) by 6m wide. There shall be a minimum of 5 m of landing surface behind the box. The landing area for the High Jump and Pole Vault should be composed of soft material other than sawdust or shavings of such composition and construction to provide a

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•

soft landing. A front pad, similar in material and dimensions to the landing area, may be used to cover the area surrounding the take-off box of the Pole Vault and extending between the standards. In the High Jump, the landing area should be a minimum height of .712m (28 in.); in the Pole Vault, it should be a minimum height of .813m (32 in.) above the take-off.

The side of the landing area nearest to the box shall be placed 10-15cm from the box and shall slope away from the box at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. The exposed area to the sides and back of the vault box shall have suitable padding.

(b) Before the competition starts, each vaulter shall inform the official responsible for the event what position of the uprights or supports he or she wants to use, and this information should be recorded on the score sheet.

Any competitor who wants to make any changes should immediately inform the official responsible before the ance with the initial wishes.

Failure to do this must lead to the start of the time limit.

See Rule 180.9(d)vi.

The take-off shall be from a box made of wood, metal, or other suitable rigid material.

The box shall be sunk level with the runway.

In order to obtain a better grip, competitors are permitted to use a substance on their hands or on the pole during the competition.

Gloves may be used. The use of a forearm cover to prevent injuries shall be allowed. See Rule 183.8 in regard to the use of tape on pole.

RULE 183 POLE VAULT

(a) Where the standards permit, a competitor may have the uprights or supports moved back, but they may not be moved in the direction of the running or runway, and they may not be moved more than 80cm toward the landing area, from the prolongation of the inside edge of the top of the stopboard.

NOTE: For Youth Athletics exception, see Rule 302.5(k).

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Competitors may use their own poles. No competitor may use any of the private poles except with the consent of the owner.

It shall be a failure if: •

After the vault, the bar does not remain on the pegs

•

•

•

because of the action of the competitor while vaulting; or

The vaulter touches the ground, including the landing area beyond the vertical plane of the upper part of the stopboard, with any part of the body or with the pole without first clearing the bar; or The vaulter, after leaving the ground, places the lower hand above the upper or moves the upper hand higher on the pole; or

During the vault, the vaulter steadies or replaces the bar with his/her hand(s).

NOTE 1: It is not a foul if the vaulter runs outside the white lines marking the runway at any point.

NOTE 2: It is not a foul solely because the pole touches the vaulting pad, in the course of an attempt, after properly being planted in the box.

After the release of the pole, no one including the athlete shall be allowed to touch the pole unless it is falling away from the bar or uprights. If it is touched, however, and the official in charge of the Pole Vault is of the opinion that, but for the intervention, the bar would have been knocked off, the vault shall be regarded as a failure.

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NOTE: It is not a failure if the pole passes underneath the cross bar in the event the competitor clears the bar. It is not a failure if a competitor leaves the ground for the purpose of making a vault and fails to clear the bar, provided he/she does not otherwise commit a foul.

If, in making an attempt, the competitor’s pole is broken, it shall not be counted as an attempt or a failure and the vaulter shall be awarded a new trial.

NOTE: For specifications of Vaulting Pole, Landing Pits, Runways, and Apparatus for High Jump and Pole Vault, see Rules 181.10-19.

Pole Construction - The pole may be of any material or combination of materials and of any length or diameter, but the basic surface must be smooth.

The pole may have layers of tape at the grip end, to protect the hand, and of tape and/or any other suitable material, such as a sleeve, at the bottom end, to protect the pole. Any tape at the grip end must be uniform except for incidental overlapping and must not result in any sudden change in of any ‘ring’ on the pole.

NOTE: The pole may be taped in either direction.

•

•

• •

•

In the High Jump and Pole Vault, a competitor who has passed three consecutive heights after the competition has begun may be permitted a warm up jump without the crossbar in place. One such jump shall be allowed for each three passed heights and may be taken only as earned, not cumulatively.

In the High Jump and Pole Vault, Masters competitors are allowed to touch the landing area before they touch the bar, but may not use the landing area to any advantage as determined by the Field Judge.

In the High Jump and Pole Vault an athlete may be assisted in establishing the

location of marks prior to the start of competition.

Rule 181.3 will apply, except that no more than three marks may be used, and such marks cannot exceed 3 inches in length.

In the Pole Vault, movement of the uprights, Rule 183.1(a), shall be limited to the between 45cm and 80cm from the stop board in the direction of the landing surface.

(d) The

practice of “tapping” (physically assisting) vaulters during their warm-ups is prohibited.

(e) A

competitor shall not use a training pole, a pole which is improperly marked or a pole rated below his/her weight during warm-up or competition. Prior to warmup, the field event Referee or designee shall inspect each pole to be used in competition to verify that the poles are legal equipment.

The competitor’s weight shall be at or below the manufacturer’s pole rating.

It is the responsibility of the coach or parent to verify the competitor will use a legal pole rated at or above his/ her weight.

NOTE: The manufacturers shall include on each pole a pole rating that shall be a minimum of 3/4 inch in a contrasting color located within or a and hold position with the position being determined by the manufacturer.

•

In the High Jump and Pole Vault, a competitor who has passed three consecutive heights after the competition has begun may be permitted a warm-up jump without such jump may be taken for each three passed heights and shall be taken as earned, not cumulatively.

Read more at www.usatf.org

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Stacy Dragila Pole Vault Camp

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Welcome to a New School Year!

Welcome to a new school year! I have always been excited when school starts, both as a student myself and as a mother of two boys. The beginning of school is a new start. Each year a student moves closer to his or her future, another rung on the ladder to achieving dreams! As parents, we know that this ladder will lead to each of our children receiving full ride scholarships and attending the college of their choice, right? Well….

We have created a generation of high achieving, multi-talented, excessively praised children, all of whom are applying to college at the same time. Garrison Keeler described his mythical town of Lake Wobegon as a place where all the children are “above average”. This generation of students has received trophies for their achievements from a very young age….even when their “achievements” were difficult to discern. Schools offer Honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses to raise the GPA far

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above the standard 4.0. And the number of students who get a perfect score on the ACT test has risen a whopping 82% in the past five years! But even excellent grades and perfect SAT scores are no longer enough: For example, 69% of Stanford’s applicants over the past five years with SATs of 2400 — the highest score possible — didn’t get in.

The competition for admission to the most highly competitive colleges is increasing.

The New York Times recently reported an alarming statistic. This year, only 5% of those who applied to Stanford University were admitted — the worst acceptance rate among top colleges. Acceptance rates aren’t much better in the other highly competitive schools: Harvard and Yale are at 6%; Columbia and Princeton at about 7%; and Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Chicago at about 8%. This decline in acceptance is a furious hamster wheel. As the ad-

mittance numbers decline, in an attempt to increase their odds, students apply to a more and more schools the following year, which in turn creates a larger applicant pool…and a smaller percentage admitted!

With all of these startling statistics, how does a student get admitted to college? The most important detail to remember when applying to college is that GPA and test scores are NOT the only measures of an applicant!

Colleges use your GPA and test scores to provide insight into your ability to perform academically, but they will also take your extracurricular activities into account. (That isn’t to say that you will get into Johns Hopkins’ Pre-Med program as a 3.2 student…..unless you have been doing Ebola research since 7th grade and have been published more than once as a high school student…which is why your grades are not up to par… because you have been very busy in the lab finding a cure! If this is the case, MAYBE you will be

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admitted). However, performance numbers are not the end all be all. In order to create a diverse and interesting student body, colleges will look at the student as a whole person.

What does that mean? My recommendation to all students is: PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR CURRICULUM AND ACTIVITES AS YOU BEGIN YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. That does not mean that you need to pad your resume or participate in activities you hate just to “look good” to colleges. In fact, I mean the exact opposite! I encourage you to take the strongest course load offered by your high school that still allows you to spend time with your friends and family and sleep well at night. Become involved in activities that you love and accept a leadership position if given the chance. Find one or two meaningful volunteer jobs and stick with them for a length of time (four years!). Do everything that you enjoy! Find your passion and grow. Focus on your schoolwork and do the very best that you can all four years of high school. Challenge yourself! You do not have to ace the ACT or pull in a 5.2 GPA….unless you want to.

Develop your interests, become passionate about something and put forth your best effort in everything that you do. Each student is a unique individual, not a mathematical statistic. Find the path that works for you and own it. We will find the schools that are looking for YOU. And while you may not get a trophy for it, you will be happy and content in the long run.

I do love the beginning of the school year. It IS another rung on your ladder of achieving your dreams! And it is a wonderful new beginning.

Happy First Day of School!

Penny Hanson Hanson College Consultants penny@hansoncollegeaccess.com

Penny Hanson

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Stacy Dragila Pole Vault Camp

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Standing: Thresa Vinson, Holly Waseloff, Kristen Brown, Coach Richard Fox, Bonnie Draxler, Kortney Ross, Katherine Magill, Sitting: Courtney Jackson and Karen Snapper MAGAZINE

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Lady Aztecs Want “5 Over 14’ in ‘15”!

By: Michelle Walthall

Volunteer Pole Vault Coach Richard Fox starts off our college feature with some of his history with the SDSU Aztecs. Interestingly, SDSU coins the phrase “girl power” as the team is only made up of female vaulters. He says, “I am entering my 20th year coaching the pole vaulters at San Diego State University. We started pole vaulting here at SDSU in 1996 with two young ladies, and, at that time, dedicated our program to building a great pole vault squad. Since 1996, we have dedicated scholarship money towards pole vaulters with the vested interest to continue building a strong foundation for them to build upon. We have over 100 poles

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to select from for our lady pole vaulters, ranging from 12’6” to 15’0” with everything in between.”

“I am the only pole vault coach,” he says of the staff, “but in total, we have a sprints coach, a hurdles/relays coach, a jumps coach, a throws coach and a distance coach. The coaching staff works well together, and in particular, our Head Coach Shelia Burrell works closely with the pole vaulters. She is in charge of their conditioning/sprint mechanics and really brings the best out of them. The improved running mechanics has a huge impact on the vaulters being able to move

their handgrip up poles and jump on stiffer flex poles.”

Coach Fox is also excited about some new additions to his team this year. He tells us, “I have two incoming freshman. Typically I like to bring in two freshman vaulters: one scholarship and one walk on development vaulter for a total of 8 vaulters with 2 in each class. This year we have Bonnie Draxler, who brings with her a PR of 13’ 11 1/4”. This coupled with the national and international vault experience is a huge boost for the vaulting group as a whole. Bonnie Draxler has consistently improved each year and has a strong

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mental competitive side to her. She embraces the biggest competition and really strives to push herself. Bonnie placed 2nd at the USATF Jr. Nationals and 11th overall at the World Jr. Championships. Draxler brings with her a rare combination of being a 4-time Wisconsin 400 meter champion and 4-time Wisconsin State pole vault champion. A little about Bonnie personally, she is from Wrightstown, Wisconsin. She has won 10 Wisconsin State Meet titles. She has a close-knit family with two sisters and a very supportive mom and dad.

They are all excited to see her college move to a sunny and warm, SDSU, so they can come visit her in San Diego.”

Standing: Coach Richard Fox, Holly Waseloff, Kortney Ross, Bonnie Draxler, Thresa Vinson, Kristen Brown, Sitting: Karen Snapper, Katherine Magill, Courtney Jackson

“Our other freshman is Courtney Jackson,” he continues, “who is a local San Diego High School athlete from Ramona High School.

She is a two-time California State Meet competitor who brings a talented gymnastics background. Courtney has excellent fundamentals and will have a lot of room for growth in the event when she gets placed in this group of Aztec lady pole vaulters this coming fall.”

Upperclassmen are making names for themselves on Coach

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learn from and thrive on. I have two juniors who are making great strides: Karen Snapper a two-time NCAA Regional qualifier, with a PR of 13’ 1 1/2” and Theresa Vinson, a Mountain West Conference competitor who has a PR of 12’ 1 1/2”.”

Kristen Brown

Fox’s team as well. “This year is a heavily-weighted seniorled squad of pole vaulters,” he lets us know. I have three seniors who have outstanding collegiate credentials, led by 14’ 0” vaulter Kristen Brown who has claimed three Mountain West Conference titles and is a returning NCAA All-American.

Holly Waseloff, also a Mountain West Conference champion and two-time NCAA Regional

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qualifier brings with her a PR of 13’2 1/2”. Kortney Ross, also a senior this year, has both national and international vaulting experience, with a PR of 13’ 6 1/4”, is a three time NCAA Regional qualifier with a best 13th place finish, just missing out on going to the finals. The three of them bring a mental approach of hard work and determination that will allow our younger vaulters to

As far as what we can expect from the San Diego State vaulters in Conference and Division this year, Coach Fox has this to say: “We compete in the Mountain West Conference, which is Division 1. We have 12 strong universities in our conference, with a rotating schedule; we are able to travel to many beautiful campuses throughout the West Coast and Rocky Mountain Range.

We rotate our Indoor MWC Championships between Boise State, New Mexico and the Air Force Academy. The 2015 Outdoor MWC Championships will be hosted at our home track in San Diego. We are very excited to have our Championships here with three seniors on the team.

Our goal as a team is to win both Indoor Conference and Outdoor Conference. We have won the MWC Championship title for 2013 and 2014, so we have a tradition to uphold.

As for a vault squad, we want to place as many competitors into championship meets as possible to score to contribute

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Kortney Ross.jpg

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to the team success. And individually, with 4 athletes who have been to the NCAA Regional Meet and an incoming freshman with an NCAA qualifying PR, our goal is to place 5 vaulters at the NCAA Regionals in Texas this year.”

“Over the years the Aztec lady pole vaulters have had the privilege to travel to many great pole vault destinations,” says Coach Fox of the team’s adventures. “Our favorite indoor facilities are Air Force Academy and Arkansas. They both have a great collegiate environment and we have had much success with many PR’s at their Universities. Our favorite place to jump outdoors is hands down at San Diego State University. But when we have to travel, the University of Tennessee has been a lot of fun going out to the Sea Ray Relays with their great tailwinds. We also really enjoy the University of Texas at either the Relays or the NCAA Championships.

We love going to UT because the food along 6th Street is outstanding and we get to visit Iron Works, the best BBQ we have found so far.”

In their adventures the Aztec vaulters face fierce competition. Coach Fox tells us, “Our biggest school rival in the pole vault, year in and year out, is UCLA Bruins coached by

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Anthony Curran. We are going into our 20th year of coaching against each other and we have a lot of fun battling it out. Within the MWC, it is the Air Force Academy and New Mexico we are challenged by each

year, indoor and outdoor. The Falcons and Lobos are who we train for and eye to beat each Championship. They are both well prepared, well coached and are determined to beat us each time we meet up.”

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would come back. But for now, we are making our mark with the women’s-only team.

This dynamic has its pluses and minus. The main plus is we have very little distraction and a lot of flexibility with the women’s team. We have no practice time conflicts and the practices are much focused.

The women are able to bond together for camaraderie and support in a special way to build lifelong friendships.”

Standing: Kortney Ross, Karen Snapper, Thresa Vinson, Holly Waseloff Sitting: Kristen Brown, Katherine Magill

One burning question I am sure we all have is, why no male vaulters? This is how Coach Fox answers: “Our track and field program had a long standing history with a men’s team which ended

with the last men’s college track and field team in 1992.

I am honored to say I was a senior pole vautler on this last men’s team. We have a great history of men’s track and field athletes who, someday, I wish

“Our preseason training starts in September,” Coach Fox says of their timing and summer activities. “We start jumping almost immediately and, by the end of September, we are on the runway doing short step, small pole drills, getting into the groove of jumping. During the summer, our athletes are conditioning and lifting to get stronger. This is the place where they make a real difference. Summer preparation is huge to come into the preseason strong and ready to condition.”

The Lady Aztec Vaulters have some big plans we should all watch out for. Here is what we can expect, according to Coach Fox:

“We have 11 vaulters who have jumped over 13’ in their college careers here at SDSU and we have 5 vaulters who have vaulted over 14’ in the

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NAU Trip Heading Home

past 19 seasons. Our goal is to put Holly Waseloff, Korntey Ross, Karen Snapper and Bonnie Draxler over 14’ to join Kristen Brown to make it 5 over 14’ in ‘15. This is our mantra for the season. Win Conference, qualify for NCAA Regionals, place top 12 and be an All-American. These are the three goals each vaulter has every year at SDSU.”

“We have 8 total vaulters on the team, which is a group size I really enjoy coaching.

Each year, we try and select a meet to travel to as a squad for team bonding. This year we will travel to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ for an indoor meet. We are looking forward to the weekend trip and new PR’s to come. In addition, we have an annual alumni dinner, where the past and present vaulters get together and celebrate the traditions and success of our program. I really enjoy seeing the young college vaulters have a chance to meet our alumni and see how they have gone on to become successful members of our community.

San Diego offers so many fun events as a pole vault squad; we will plan group outings and entertainment to go along with our great training. Here is to 5 over 14’ in ‘15!”

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MAGAZINE Kassadee Ifft

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April Steiner Bennett and Derek Bouma

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MAGAZINE Stacy Dragila Pole Vault Camp

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Starting Over By: Bubba Sparks

There’s no better clean slate than the start of a new season. Philosophically your view should be that you are at your lowest level physically and technically compared to where you plan to be by your championship season. Because of this, your training is long and hard and your vaulting is from very short runs. You can take a ton more jumps from closer runs, but you also physically should be too beat up to run much further anyway.

This is not new thinking by any means but it is still ignored by many. Some colleges think that they can run and lift their vaulters to exhaustion and that they will now be better vaulters because they are stronger and faster. I know of more than a few schools who don’t let their kids jump until November, even though they have their first meet right after Thanksgiving.

Another “famous” coach put his vaulters on a “jump count” starting in November. “You can take eight jumps today (Monday) from 6 lefts/12 steps today and then on Thursday you get six jumps from your long run. Huh? The pole vault is a highly technical, timing based event. All of the strength and speed means little if you have lost the feeling of the vault. You truly get better at what you practice at so vaulting is a must.

The approach I just descried is not how elite athletes train. In last month’s issue of Vaulter Magazine, Mathew Sweet reported that Renaud

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Lavillenie, the world record holder, jumps three hours a day, two days a week from 1 left/2 steps and 2 lefts/4 steps. The next two months he jumps from 3/6 and 4/8. Even during the season he only jumps from 6/12 and 8/16 even though his meet run is 10/20. Why are you always going from your long run in practice?

Top vaulters don’t do this. They love having the extra burst of speed from those 2 strides/four steps in a meet because it means bigger poles, higher grips and bigger jumps because you are adding horsepower to a technically clean jump.

The objective in all of these phases and components is to get the most you can out of each level. I had a friend tell me that when Alex Parnov was traveling with Steve Hooker that he left instructions for his daughters (world class teenagers) not to run further that 4 lefts/8 steps for 2-4 months at a time. Steve Hooker himself has a video online of him jumping 18’5”/5.61m from 4 lefts/8 steps. No surprise he jumped 19’ 11”/6.06m that year.

I’m used to seeing results in the fall and winter from Earl Bell at Bell Athletics where there is a notation to the side indicating what run they were going from. At Reno in 2008, the year Jeff Hartwig made his last Olympic team, he jumped 5.50m/18’ ½” from 6 lefts/12 steps.

Earl’s results from Jonesboro would have read for example;

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Bubba Sparks

Jeff Hartwig – 5.50m (6) Kellie Suttle – 4.30m (5) Becky Holiday – 4.15m (4)

Besides the vault benefit of progressing through these levels and getting the most out of them, in these early stages your body is trashed because of the hardcore base running, lifting and other conditioning you are doing. Chances are you couldn’t run well from a longer run effectively even if you wanted to at that point. The ultimate goal is that your top

physical level comes together with your top technical level, right about the time you move to a meet run. This formula works over and over again and never fails. Why? Besides the obvious, getting more jumps in makes you a better vaulter. I can’t count the number of times that I have seen a vaulter progressing through a workout and facing a technical challenge, and now they are too tired to take any more quality vaults. Jumping

from shorter runs makes you “face your demons”. Just about the time you’re at a crossroads of having to make a technical correction or adjustment, you still may have 20 more jumps left in you instead of being done like the vaulter on a long run. Give it a shot and have some fun. What’s better than being able to take a lot of fun jumps?

Bubba

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MAGAZINE Stacy Dragila Pole Vault Camp

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Stacy Dragila Pole Vault Camp

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Chloe Henry