Hays, Kansas –Bob Threlkel made his way quickly to the north end of Lewis Field Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, receiving congratulatory remarks and handshakes along the way.

He politely acknowledged his well-wishers, hoping he didn’t look like he was in too much of a hurry.

But Threlkel was in a hurry. He had pole vaulters to attend to.

Threlkel, who has coached dozens of pole vaulters in Hays for four decades, had just been honored at midfield for his 23 years of teaching at Felten Middle School and coaching both Felten and Kennedy Middle School pole vaulters.

The last to coach athletes at both local middle schools during the same season, Threlkel is retiring from teaching at Felten at the end of this school year.

But he won’t be retiring from coaching, having plans to keep open his options for coaching wrestling or track and field.

In the final athletic event in the long, successful history of Kennedy Middle School, which is closing its doors at the end of the school year, Felten and Kennedy athletes showed “Coach T” just how much they appreciated him Tuesday. Continue reading →

 Houston, Texas –Two Klein Oak boys hope to standing on the awards podium Saturday night when Jeremy Jones throws and Barrett Poth vaults at the UIL 5A state track meet at Mike Myers track in Austin.Jones. a senior, was the Region II shot put champion with a heave of 56-6 and is hoping to get into the top three if not claim a gold medal while, Poth, a sophomore, second in the region with a 15-6 to finish three inches behind defending state champion Reese Watson, who won with a 15-9 after Barrett won the District 13-5A crown.“I think they both have a chance to do very well at state,” Oak boys track coach Andres Andrepont said. “Jeremy threw very well at the regional and I think with a couple of more feet he’ll be right in the mix for a medal and Barrett has jumped real well. I think if he can find a way to get to 15-9 or even 16 feet and we’re working on that, that he’ll also have a chance to be on the medal stand when it’s all said and done.”Poth it seems will again be battling Watson for medal honors as Watson won the 5A state championship as a junior with a outstanding height of 17 feet. He is one of five boys listed at having hit the 15-6 mark, but his best jump was a 15-7 to win the district title.  Continue reading →

Grand Island, Nebraska –The men in the Cahoy family have no fear of leaving their feet. Or so it seems with Grand Island pole vaulters Steven Cahoy and younger brother Kevin, sons of 1980 U.S. Olympic gymnast Phil Cahoy. While Kevin, a freshman, has been vaulting since middle school, what Steven has accomplished in four months — repeat, four months — has never happened in Nebraska and highly unlikely anywhere else. At last week’s Heartland Conference meet in Lincoln, the 6-foot-1 junior became the ninth vaulter to clear 16 feet and is tied for fifth on the state’s all-time chart. Continue reading →

Mequon Wisconsin, - Kaewon Reynolds is one of the top sprinters in the state. The Milwaukee Pius senior, however, might just be the best pole vaulter in the state.Reynolds matched his season best in that event, going 15 feet at the eight-team Field Festival on Tuesday afternoon at Homestead. Reynolds is tied with defending state champion Jesse Continue reading →

Bakersfield, CA. –Pole vault: 1. Kyser Anderson, CW, 16-0.5; 2. Scott Greenman, Clov, 15-7.5; t3. Tyler Hiester, Sanger, and Jacob Ruiz, Clovis East, 15-1.Pole vault: 1. Nicole Falkenstein, Buch, 12-2; 2. Casey Campos, CE, 12-1; t3. Jenny Wilson, Buch, and Caroline Weaver, CW, 11-1  more 

Wyoming County, NY –Looking ahead to the District II Class AAA track and field championships next Monday, Tunkhannock Area has several athletes with record-breaking potential. Senior Ryan Karnopp, who competes in the pole vault, 4×100 relay, long jump and 4×400 relay, holds the school record in the pole vault at 13-feet, 9-inches.Another talented Tunkhannock pole vaulter, senior Destiny Distasio, broke the previous school record of 8-feet, 3-inches, early in her career and has broken her own record several times. She currently holds the school record of 10-feet, 2-inches.  more

Austin, Minnesota –Austin junior Abby Snater also re-set her school record in the pole vault as she hit a height of 11 feet, six inches, which is one-inch higher than the new record she put up earlier this season. more

GRANVILLE, Ohio –Licking Valley’s Zach Crouse enjoyed the spotlight in the pole vault, clearing a personal record 13-6 to easily win after almost going out at 12-6. He just missed 14-0, skimming the bar with his leg on the first try.”It always happens at 12-6. I miss on the first two, but then make it on the last one,” Crouse said. “I switched to a 155 (-pound weight limit) pole to get a little more launch. I’ve always been comfortable at 13-0.”He wants to get 14-0 at next week’s district meet, then take aim on Austin Durbin’s school record 15-4 his senior year.”If I can get 14-0, I know I can get the record,” Crouse said. “Durbin cleared 13-6 at the end of his junior year.”  more

Superior, Wisconsin –Four school records fell when the Superior Central High School track team participated in the Hibbing Invitational. Al Gagne cleared the bar with a pole vault of 11 feet, 6 inches; Bill Johnson ran a 4:53.7 mile; Jim Lawson turned in a time of 2:06 in the 880-yard run; and the mile relay team of Gagne, Mike Cheney, Dick Driessen and Harry Goldfine posted a time of 3:45.1 (1960) more

MICHIGAN–pole vault: 1. Newman Harper (LW), 8-6; 2. Austin Olson (LW), 8-0; 3. Josh Kuhn (LW), 8-0; Pole vault: 1. Jimmy Bagazinski (LF), 12-0.5; 2. Mitch Nickert (C), 11-6; 3. Kyle Zander (C), 11-0;pole vault: 1. Teasdale (P), 11-6; 2. Jewell Jones (WJG), 10-6; 3. Quinn Dupraw (WJG), 9-6Pole vault: 1. Jacob Hage (LC), 12-10; 2. Stephen Fedak (LC), 11-6; 3. Alex Ryktarszyk (LC), 11-0. more