Daily Archives: May 10, 2012

SUNYAC Championships

ONEONTA, N.Y. — Senior Broncho Rollins entered the SUNYAC Championship meet as the No. 1 seed and did not disappoint, bringing home a conference championship in the pole vault clearing a height of 15’9” in the first day of competition more

Men Pole Vault                                                                      
  1 Broncho Rollins           SR Fredonia                 4.80m   15-09.00  10  
  2 Ryan Pericozzi            SR Cortland                 4.80m   15-09.00   8  
  3 Zach Ferrara              JR Brockport                4.80m   15-09.00   6  
  4 Connor Ten Eyck           FR Cortland                 4.50m   14-09.00   5  
  5 Cody Dahleiden            JR Fredonia                 4.50m   14-09.00   3.50
  5 Ken Bucaro                SR Cortland                 4.50m   14-09.00   3.50
  7 Ben Nalette               SO Fredonia                 4.50m   14-09.00   2  
  8 Jake Pasanen              SO Geneseo                  4.35m   14-03.25   1  
  9 Zachary Stewart           SO Buffalo State            4.20m   13-09.25      
  9 Matthew Allen             FR Buffalo State            4.20m   13-09.25      
11 Henry Haines              FR Fredonia                 4.20m   13-09.25      
11 Tom Calandra              SO Cortland                 4.20m   13-09.25      
13 Alex Curran               SR Geneseo                  4.05m   13-03.50      
14 Casey Hanson              FR Brockport                4.05m   13-03.50      
15 Beznik Palushi            SO Cortland                 4.05m   13-03.50      
15 Nick Perugini             FR Oneonta                  4.05m   13-03.50     

Women Pole Vault                                                             
  1 Becky Fabbiano            SR Brockport                3.55m   11-07.75  10 Continue reading →

Weygandt makes full return from quad injury to lead Tech track at Big 12 Championships

When Texas Tech pole vaulter Shade Weygandt cleared 14 feet, 9 inches Saturday at the Red Raider Open, she had plenty to celebrate as she jumped off the mat. She broke her personal record, her women’s stadium record, moved to No. 2 in the NCAA rankings and met the Olympic A qualifying standard. Maybe it also signaled that she’s all the way back from where she lay one year and one week before: on the mat at Stanford, having to be carried off with what turned out to be a partially torn quadriceps in two places. “It’s definitely been quite a year. It’s been quite a trying year,” Weygandt said Tuesday before the Red Raiders left for the Big 12 championships at Manhattan, Kan. “After I tore it, it took about four months to properly run again, nine months to pole vault again and 10 months to compete again.“I’ve only been (back) in the game for a couple of months, but I feel very blessed and happy that I am back in it and I am competing.”Weygandt’s career-best mark came at a good time for the junior from Mansfield. The Big 12 meet runs today through Sunday. Then comes the NCAA West Preliminary May 24-26 in Austin and the NCAA championships June 6-9 at Des Moines, Iowa. Continue reading →

Branch’s Eckenroth claims gold in AAAA pole vault

click to enlargeJEFFERSON — Most athletes would have been thrilled just to equal Austin Eckenroth’s performance in the Class AAAA pole vault on Thursday at the Georgia Olympics.
Eckenroth is not most athletes, however, and despite grabbing his second straight state championship in Jefferson, the Flowery Branch senior walked away from the competition with a modicum of disappointment after clearing 15-feet-6 but scratching on three straight attempts at 16-0. The performance led the way for area athletes at Thursday’s portion of the meet and was more than enough to earn a gold medal — but not to the level the South Carolina-bound Eckenroth had hoped.
“I’m glad I won but my main goal was to get the all-time state record,” said Eckenroth, who entered the meet eyeing former Gainesville High standout Paul Malquist’s all-time record of 16-8, set in 2010  Continue reading →

Briefs

NJAC Championships–New Jersey–POLE VAULT: 1-Tyler Fiztpatrick, Morris Hills, 14-0 record; former record, 13-6, Ali Hashemi, Randolph, 2010. 2-Jordan Pacheco, Morris Hills, 14-0. 3-John Iseman, West Morris, 14-0. 4-James Siglin, Vernon, 13-6. 5-Nicholas Patterson, Morris Knolls, 13-0. 6-Asam Msanski, Mendham, 13-0.  more

Coos Bay, Oregon –Marshfield had another big mark in the pole vault during a Midwestern League dual meet at Willamette on Tuesday. Paul Harlow joined Chase Messerle clearing 14 feet in the event during Marshfield’s win over the Wolverines. Messerle cleared 14 feet for the first time Saturday. more

ADRIAN, Mich. —The Adrian High School track teams defeated Tecumseh in a Southeastern Conference dual meet on Tuesday afternoon.The highlight of meet came when Adrian senior pole vaulter Cory Miller broke his own school record, setting the new record at 15-7 1/4.“The feeling doesn’t get old,” said Miller, who broke his record of 15-3. “It’s an amazing feeling and it makes all the hard work you put in worth it. The pole vault is always evolving, and so is my form. I’ll get to 16 feet eventually.”Miller has now broken his own pole vault record six times.  more

Sarnia Canada vaulter aiming for Olympic team

Dayna Maaten curls around a bar nearly four metres in the air during a special pole vault competition at the St. Patrick's Invitational track-and-field meet Wednesday, May 9, 2012 In Sarnia, Ont. The 27-year-old Sarnia native competes at meets throughout North America and is working toward her goal of competing in the 2012 London Olympics. DANIEL PUNCH/ THE OBSERVER/ QMI AGENCY

Canada –Dayna Maaten is about to fly.The 27-year-old Sarnia native has nothing but strength, agility and a 12-foot, semi-pliable pole to launch herself four-metres in the air.She checks the wind. Is it at her back or her face? She repeats key words her coach has taught her, checks her grip, and takes off.“You kind of feel like you’re flying,” Maaten described.Maaten had the rare opportunity to show off her unique talent in her hometown Wednesday, competing at a special all-ages pole vault competition at the St. Patrick’s Invitational track-and-field meet.The women’s portion of the Athletics Canada-sponsored event featured five of Canada’s top jumpers.Maaten was among the elite group of athletes drawing gasps and cheers from the crowd at St. Patrick’s high school.“This is like a ninja sport,” one young spectator remarked from the crowd.The event was organized to showcase pole vault for the Sarnia-Lambton area. The Sarnia Athletics Southwest Track and Field Club received an $80,800 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation earlier this year, which allowed the club to purchase the city’s first pole vault equipment in many years.Athletes like Maaten didn’t have access to the sport locally up to this point. Club coach Joel Skinner hopes pole vault can soon become part of the local athletics scene. Continue reading →

Watson looking to vault his legacy in state’s final 5A track meet

 Spring senior Reese Watson’s future is set. But before he departs to the University of Texas to begin his collegiate track and field career, the stellar pole vaulter would like to leave a legacy.This is his third consecutive trip to the 5A state meet in Austin this Saturday and last year, he won the state championship with a height of 16-9. Watson admits he wants his last school track meet, which will be held on the same track complex that he will call home for the next four years, to end with a bang.“I’m glad I get the chance to go to the state meet one more time,” Watson said. “It’s going to be going for a third straight time. And I’ve got some some records I’d like to break before I go, so that’s kind of the standard I have set for myself.”Those include the state pole vault record — which is an 18-2.5 height set by Eric Esbach of Orangefield in 1999 — and he would like to hit at least hit the Olympic Trial B standard, which is 18 feet.“Those are the goals I have set for myself,” Watson, who is presently one of the top three pole vaulters in the nation with his height, said. “I feel like it does get easier each time you go, but it’s also tougher each time you go because the pressure is there to win it. Last year, I wanted to win it badly because I had been there the year before and had not won it. And this year being a senior and this being the last time I’ll have this opportunity I want to win it. And I feel like I’ll have to jump better than I did last year to have a chance to win it again.”He began the indoors season back in the winter strong, going a remarkable 17-7 very quickly before he felt a strain in the quadrangular muscle and had to shut down Continue reading →

Track Adds Nation’s Top Pole Vaulter Shawn Barber For 2012-13

AKRON, Ohio – University of Akron head track and field coach Dennis Mitchell announced the signing of pole-vaulter Shawn Barber to a national letter of intent Sunday.A native of Kingwood, Texas, Barber is the boys top pole vaulter in the nation after recording a personal best of 17-08.00 last March. He also placed second at the 2012 New Balance Indoor Nationals and recently won the high school division of the Texas Relays with a jump of 17-06.50.”It’s a great honor for our program that Shawn has decided The University of Akron is the place that can take him to the highest level of competition,” Mitchell said. “He’s an exceptional athlete and individual, and I’m excited for his future as an Akron Zip.”As of last week, Barber had broken the 17-foot barrier four times. His father, George Barber, was a two-time Olympic Trials competitor for Canada in the 1980s with a best of 17-10.75.Barber will join an Akron program next fall that has developed a reputation for developing some of the nation’s top pole vaulters. Regarded as one of the top pole vault coaches in the country, Mitchell – who is currently in his 17th season as head coach at UA – has produced five All-Americans in the event, earning 12 All-American honors, in the last eight years alone.  more

Texas State Meets FeatureTop Vaulters

Girls Pole Vault 5A

  • 1 Nicole Summersett Austin Westlake 11-06.00
  • 2 Madeline Kaufmann McAllen Memorial 10-00.00
  • 3 Catherine Chenault College Station A&M Cons 12-00.00
  • 4 Erin Orozco San Antonio Johnson 11-00.00
  • 5 Desiree Freier Justin Northwest 12-00.00
  • 6 Anna Rawles Katy Seven Lakes 11-06.00
  • 7 Brittany Wooten Tomball 12-09.00
  • 8 Alyssa Gullo Houston Cypress Woods 11-06.00
  • 9 Zoe McKinley Grapevine High School 12-00.00

Boys Pole Vault 5A

  • 1 Josh Sonnen Midlothian 14-09.00
  • 2 Jordan Worthington San Antonio Churchill 15-06.00
  • 3 Addison Tomlison Humble Kingwood 15-06.00
  • 4 Derek Richard Fort Bend Travis 15-06.00
  • 5 Barrett Poth Klein Oak 15-06.00
  • 6 Cristian Lozoya Los Fresnos 15-06.00
  • 7 Reese Watson Spring 15-09.00
  • 8 Chase Jones Midland 15-00.00
  • 9 Connor McGuire Clute Brazoswood 15-06.00 Continue reading →

2013 Division II Girls Pre-season Rankings

 

  1. Rolph, Jenny              12 Liberty                 11-03.00 
  2. Whitehead, Savannah       12 Marcos De Ni            11-03.00       
  3. O Connor, Breanna         12 Flagstaff               10-01.00        
  4. Cabral, Tori              11 Agua Fria Un            9-01.00    
  5. Peterson, Chereese        11 Queen Creek             9-01.00
  6. Brunner, Julianna         12 Thunderbird             9-01.00      
  7. Groh, McKenna             11 Cactus Shado            9-00.00
  8. Ledesma, Lilly            10 Moon Valley             8-07.00     
  9. Foster, Tatum             10 Agua Fria Un            8-07.00
  10. Burkel, Amy               12 Sahuaro                 8-06.00              
  11. Pettigrew, Lindsey        11 Salpointe Ca            8-06.00
  12. Keahon, Sophie            11 Salpointe Ca            8-06.00
  13. Kramer, Brooke            12 Notre Dame P            8-02.00          
  14. Collins, Rachael          11 Cactus Shado            8-00.00       
  15. Burns, Cheyenne           11 Apache Junct            8-00.00
  16. Lane, Adelina             12 Catalina Foo            8-00.00    
  17. Collins, Alex             10 Cactus Shado            8-00.00          

Arizona Division II Girls Pole Vault Results

Girls Pole Vault Division II

  1 Rolph, Jenny              11 Liberty             11-00.00   11-03.00 

  2 Whitehead, Savannah       11 Marcos De Ni        11-03.00   11-00.00 

  3 Ocock, Callie             12 Agua Fria Un        10-00.00   10-09.00 

  4 Jiminez, Marissa          12 Peoria               8-09.00   J9-06.00 

  4 O Connor, Breanna         11 Flagstaff           10-01.00    9-06.00 

  6 Underhill, Jackie         12 Coconino             9-06.00   J9-00.00 

  6 Chandler, Felicia         12 Peoria               8-06.00   J9-00.00 

  6 Carmody, Cassy            12 Sunrise Moun         9-00.00    9-00.00 

  9 Cabral, Tori              10 Agua Fria Un         9-01.00   J8-06.00 

  9 Peterson, Chereese        10 Queen Creek          9-01.00    8-06.00 

  9 Wilcox, Leeann            12 Sahuaro              8-06.00    8-06.00 

  9 Pettigrew, Lindsey        10 Salpointe Ca         8-00.00   J8-06.00 

  9 Foster, Tatum              9 Agua Fria Un         8-07.00   J8-06.00 

  9 L’Heureux, Kathryn        12 Canyon Del O         9-00.00   J8-06.00 

 15 Collins, Rachael          10 Cactus Shado         8-00.00   J8-00.00 

 15 Tietjen, Kayla            12 Queen Creek          8-00.00    8-00.00 

 15 Groh, McKenna             10 Cactus Shado         9-00.00    8-00.00 

 15 Burns, Cheyenne           10 Apache Junct         8-00.00   J8-00.00 

 15 Brunner, Julianna         11 Thunderbird          9-01.00    8-00.00 

 15 Keahon, Sophie            10 Salpointe Ca         8-06.00    8-00.00 

 15 Guy, Alyssa               12 Moon Valley          8-01.00   J8-00.00 

 15 Lane, Adelina             11 Catalina Foo         8-00.00   J8-00.00 

 15 Kramer, Brooke            11 Notre Dame P         8-02.00   J8-00.00 

 24 Ledesma, Lilly             9 Moon Valley          8-07.00    7-06.00 

 24 Bedatsky, Leah            12 Flagstaff            8-00.00   J7-06.00 

 – Gloetzner, Brenna         12 Apollo               8-00.00         NH 

 – Burkel, Amy               11 Sahuaro              8-06.00         NH 

 – Collins, Alex              9 Cactus Shado         8-00.00         NH

North Area track and field meet yields surprising results

California –Through a smile — even on a good day for Clovis East High pole vaulting — Timberwolves assistant coach A.J. Blackburn expressed fright regarding the Central Section North Area track and field qualifying meet.
“This meet terrifies me,” he said Wednesday on his home track. “Bad things happen in this one.”
He said this not long after Clovis East junior Louie Pancotti sailed 15 feet, 1 inch in the event while becoming the school’s third 15-footer this season — unprecedented in section history, Valley track historian Ron Blackwood said.
Blackburn also said this not long after Clovis senior Scott Greenman — in the most shocking development in section track and field this season — missed all three attempts after opening the competition at 14-7.
“That’s why I take this meet with caution every year — even the best can no-height,” Blackburn said.That means Greenman is finished, denying him not only the opportunity to defend his title in the section Masters finals May 19 at Buchanan’s Veterans Memorial Stadium, but also the chance to shine once again at the same site June 2-3 in the CIF State Championships, where he placed fourth last year at 15-6 — 2 inches under his personal best. Continue reading →

Who to watch at the Olympics: Yelena Isinbayeva

Yelena Isinbayeva (athletics) The Russian manages to combine grace and power in the pole vault to devastating effect, soaring higher and higher since setting her first world record of 4.82 meters in Gateshead in 2003.
Since then she has steadily raised the bar to 5.06 meters, considerably higher than one of London’s famous red double decker buses, claiming five world titles and the Olympic golds in Athens and Beijing.
Should the pole vault queen win in London, when she will have turned 30, she will become the first female track and field athlete to win gold at three consecutive Games  more

Olympic silver medalist Jenn Suhr tops women’s pole vault entrants at Pre Classic

Americans Jenn Suhr and Chaunte Lowe are reaching new heights in track and field.Suhr, the 2008 Olympic silver medalist in the pole vault, is the U.S. record holder, indoors and outdoors, and was ranked No. 1 in the world last year by Track & Field News.Her road to the London Olympics this summer includes a stop at the 38th annual Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on June 2.She has the best mark in the world-class field that was announced Wednesday with a PR of 16 feet, 1 3/4 inches.Suhr’s chief Diamond League challengers are the reigning gold and silver medalists from the 2011 World Championships: Fabiana Murer of Brazil (15-11) and Martina Strutz of Germany (15-9).Two other veteran WC gold medalists are entered — Russia’s Svetlana Feofanova (16-0) and Poland’s Anna Rogowska (15-11) — along with Great Britain’s 20-year-old Holly Bleasdale, Sweden’s 18-year-old Angelica Bengtsson and former two-time NCAA champion Kylie Hutson.   more

Olympics-Pole vaulter Hooker seeking boost before Shanghai

May 10 (Reuters) – Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker will bid to haul himself out of a crisis of confidence before the London Games at a disused warehouse in Perth on Friday in front of an exclusive crowd of athletes and officials, all with their fingers crossed. The shaggy-haired redhead is a cult figure in Australia since becoming the country’s first man to win Olympic athletics gold in 40 years with his jump of 5.90 metres in Beijing. However, the man once spoken of as a genuine threat to Sergei Bubka’s longstanding world record has not jumped near that height in nearly two injury-ravaged years.He admitted in February that he was suffering a prolonged bout of the yips in the leadup to London. Hooker skipped Australia’s Olympic trials in March and scrapped almost all of the domestic season to work through his demons in a warehouse that used to house train carriages in the eastern suburb of Midland. Hooker still needs to jump the Olympic qualifying mark of 5.72 metres to put himself in the frame for London. At a sponsor-driven event at the warehouse on Friday, days before he jets off to Shanghai for next week’s Diamond League meeting, Hooker will open the doors of the warehouse to jump in front of a clutch of media, team mates and officials. The 29-year-old had felt confident enough to ask local athletics authorities to sanction the event as an Olympic qualifier, raising the possibility of a triumphant send-off.vvv Continue reading →

Story of Tucson Vaulters reads like a movie; Final Scene is State Saturday

TAYLOR: Sayre, this isn’t about you anymore. You have to do it for Johnny.

The Canyon del Oro High School senior sprints down the runway to vault.

FADE OUT.

2. EXTERIOR — QUEEN CREEK INVITATIONAL, hours earlier

Zoom in on Johnny, the 17-year-old Canyon del Oro senior pole vaulter, as he attempts a practice vault. He plants his pole and elevates.

Before he can rise to the apex of his vault, he stalls about 11 1/2 feet in the air. He begins to fall backward.

JOHNNY (VOICE OVER): Not enough force. I came back down on the track. I remember almost hitting the track, and it all goes black. Continue reading →