Chicago, Illinois –Saint Alphonsus Liguori Catholic School sent three students to the IESA State Track and Field meet on Friday, May 10, at Eastside Centre in East Peoria. More than 2,400 middle school athletes attended. Declan Ritzenthaler competed in the pole vault and became the seventh grade boys 2013 State Champion with a vault of 9’9″. The second place finisher vaulted 8’3″. Jessica Talken competed in the pole vault at the seventh grade girls level and, with a vault of 6’9″, finished in 7th place out of 23 athletes. more
Category Archives: News-USA
How I Got This Body: 50-year-old Minnesota vaulter jumps to new heights
Minneapolis, Minnesota –One day when Jim Moeller was a boy, a large roll of new carpet arrived at his home in Illinois. It came wrapped around a bamboo pole — a pole that was just right for practicing the pole vault. He took up the sport in earnest in junior high, and vaulted to record-setting heights in high school. Then, after a lapse of more than 20 years, he picked up the sport again — at the age of 43. Now he competes in masters’ competitions, coaches in the summer through Fuzion Athletics and helps out unofficially at Eagan High School, where his daughter pole-vaults. WHY NOT? “You usually think of [pole vaulting] as a high school or college sport, although I know one woman who picked it up at age 40. When I left investment banking, I was three pounds shy of 200 pounds. When I started a consulting business in 2002 [Moeller Ventures, an intellectual property research company for tech companies and IP law firms], I was able to start getting back in shape after getting out of the corporate grind. I did some 10Ks and half marathons, but I got kind of bored, so I started looking for something different. Then, coincidentally, I ran into a group of masters who pole-vaulted and I thought, ‘Why not?’ Today, I’m probably 175 pounds, and my ideal vaulting weight is 170, 165.” SETTING THE BAR HIGH “If a school doesn’t have coaches with expertise, the kids struggle. I was pretty good at it right away because we had good coaching. My best ever was 14’9 as a senior in high school. I finished third at state that year, 1981, and I had the highest jump that year of the small schools. I had some attention from colleges, but I didn’t pursue them. College for me wasn’t about pole vaulting; I wanted to get an electrical engineering degree from [the University of] Illinois. more
Moto X Step Up Equals pole vault with motorbikes
BARCELONA, Spain — Just when you think you’ve seen the most absolutely outlandish, extreme event there is at the X Games, along comes Moto X Step Up. For those unfamiliar with the discipline, Step Up is like pole vault with motorbikes, except after pole-vaulters clear their bar, they at least fall into several feet of deep foam padding that adequately cushions the impact. Step Up competitors must race their bikes up a 16-foot-high, 77-degree takeoff hill, clear the bar many feet above that and then land safely (well, hopefully safely) after dropping all the way down to the ground. And there is no padding. (Hey, it’s the X Games!) And, depending on the venue, they plunge anywhere from 30 to 47 feet. While straddling a motorcycle.
Who came up with this event? Evel Knievel?
“It goes from being so high to just dropping out of the sky,” Josh Hansen said after finishing second in Sunday’s Step Up final. “Man, it was a hard landing. I’m kind of feeling it in my back right now a little bit. But it’s commitment or nothing.” Hansen said you have to be careful to stay on your bike; otherwise, you’re looking at broken legs. “It is a hard landing. It’s gnarly, but these are the X Games and we’re extreme athletes. This is what they expect from us, and this is the show we give them, so it worked out well.” more
Dan Pfaff joins World Athletics Center
April 22.2013 –Dan Pfaff has been named to the dual roles of Head Coach of the World Jumps Center and Human Performance Director of the World Athletics Center, based in Phoenix, Ariz.Pfaff, who has coached nine Olympic medalists and five world record-holders during his famed 39-year career, was appointed by World Athletics center founder John Godina. “Coach Pfaff represents the highest level of coaching in our sport,” said Godina, a four-time World Champion and two-time Olympic medalist in the shot put. “Over the course of his long career, he has demonstrated an innate ability to develop champion athletes, and his record stands with the giants in athletics history. The World Athletics Center feels strongly that coaches with experience, success, and continued interest in evolving deserve a place to free their minds and do what they do best—coach and teach. Coach Pfaff will be doing just that.”In his roles at the World Athletics Center, Pfaff will have responsibilities for elite athlete development, coach’s mentorship and education curriculum development, and human performance research and development.Most recently, Pfaff served from 2009 to 2012 as director of the UKA High Performance Centre in London, and coached Greg Rutherford of Great Britain to a gold medal in the long jump at the 2012 Olympic Games in that city. Rutherford is training at the Phoenix, Ariz., facility. Athletes re-locating to Phoenix to work with Pfaff include 2008 Olympic gold medalist Steve Hooker; 2007 World Champion and American Record-holder Brad Walker; 2007 World Champion high jumper Donald Thomas of the Bahamas; and UK pole vault national record-holders Holly Bleasdale and Steve Lewis. Continue reading
Norwegian prospects attend Phoenix training camp
Norwegian rising stars Per Magne Florvaag, Marius Bakken Støle and Joachim Sandberg have spent the last few weeks at the World Athletics Center in Phoenix under the guidance of the centers’ top coaches. Per competes in the Pole Vault and recorded a personal best of 5’30″ at the indoors in Sandnes on home soil. Marius and Joachim are both hurdlers, Marius competes in the 400m hurdles and is currently ranked as no.2 nationally. To train at the World Athletics Center is a great experience with both good facilities and excellent coaches.’ Said Marius, who was second in the senior national competition in Norway and won the junior competition last year. ‘We are using the facility to prepare for the outdoor season in Europe. It’s great weather here so it’s the perfect preparation. more
Golden girl Bleasdale aims for greater heights
After winning gold at the European Indoors in Gothenburg earlier this year, Holly Bleasdale is hoping to emulate that winning feeling outdoors. The 21 year old British record holder had a lot to ponder, after finishing sixth in her home games in 2012, with the possibility of a new beginning with Dan Pfaff over the pond. Holly’s decision to join forces brought her firstly to Cardiff to train under the guidance of Scott Simpson, where she teamed up with Welsh pole vaulter Sally Peake. Having now attended two training camps in Phoenix at the World Athletic Center, she can reflect on her choice. ‘I’ve changed so much over the two camps I’ve done out in Arizona. I’ve worked harder than ever and worked a lot technically on vaulting and running. I’m stronger, faster and better conditioned than ever before. I’m hoping to follow up my successful indoors with the same outdoors.’ Said Holly about the her training at the World Athletics Center. Bleasdale has nothing but positive things to say about her new coach Dan Pfaff, and is looking to learn everyday from her new surroundings. Speaking of her new training environment alongside male training partners Steve Lewis, Steve Hooker and Brad Walker. She says ‘it really helps me being around (them) as I’m trying to model my vaulting to be more like a male vaulter’. ‘I’m much more confident in myself now and I have more knowledge about my event. Dan and Scott are always teaching me-which helps me grow as an athlete and competitor.’ Her impressive pole vault resume includes a jump of 4.87m-above and beyond most women in the world. To regain this top mark, however, will be no easy feat. She hopes to see the improvements she’s made in training portrayed in her vault. The New York Diamond League will be Holly’s season opener. She also plans to compete in Oslo, Team Champs in Gateshead, and London and Birmingham Diamond Leagues. more
Walker goes big in Phoenix
Brad Walker vaults a World Leading height in Phoenix of 5.83m. The 2007 World Champion has been training in Phoenix under the guidance of Dan Pfaff for the last few months and has enjoyed a successful start to the 2013 season after his switch to Phoenix. “I’m loving the new training group, coaches, and all the support I’ve been getting, the World Athletic Center is the place to be!’ commented Walker after his vault on Friday. Walker’s new training group consist of the 2008 Olympic Champion Steve Hooker, the current British record holder Steve Lewis and the newly crowned European indoor champion Holly Bleasdale. more
2013 SKY ATHLETICS INVITE: Walker 5.83m; Bleasdale 4.60m
— at Paradise Valley Community College.
1 Holly Bleasdale (England) 4.60m (15′-1″)
2 Tori Pena (Ireland) 4.50m (14′-9″)
3 April Steiner-Bennett (Unat USA) 4.40m (14′-5 1/4″)
4 Aikaterini Stefanidi (Greece) 4.30m (14′-1 1/4″)
4 Melinda Owen (Unat USA) 4.30m (14′-1 1/4″)
6 Heather Hamilton (Canada) 4.30m (14′-1 1/4″)
7 Kelsie Hendry (Canada) 4.15m (13′-7 1/4″)
1 Brad Walker (Unat) 5.83m (19′-1 1/2″)
2 Nick Mossberg (Unat) 5.50m (18′-0 1/2″)
3 Kasey Burlingham (AZPVA) 5.30m (17′-4 1/2″)
4 Nick Frawley (Unat) 5.30m (17′-4 1/2″)
5 David Folley (Unat) 5.15m (16′-10 3/4″)
6 Shea Kearney (Unat) NH
T&FN’s Latest List Of U.S. A/B Qualifiers
The collegiate super-conference weekend added many new performances to the list of Americans who have World Champs qualifiers.
PV
(A) 5.70 / 18-8¼
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Andrew Irwin—5.70
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Sam Kendricks—5.81
(B) 5.60 / 18-4 ½
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Jake Blankenship—5.61
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Nick Mossberg—5.60
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John Prader—5.67
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Jordan Scott—5.60
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Cale Simmons—5.61
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Brad Walker—5.60
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Jack Whitt—5.61
- Michael Woepse—5.60
PV
(A) 4.60 / 15-1
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Kylie Hutson—4.75
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Janice Keppler—4.60
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Mary Saxer—4.60
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Jenn Suhr—5.02
(B) 4.50 / 14-9
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Becky Holliday—4.50
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Lacy Janson—4.53
- Morgann LeLeux—4.50
Vaulting a family affair for Dreilings of Kansas
kspiller@dailynews.net Hays, Kansas In between vaults, Thomas More Prep-Marian brothers Zach and Sam Dreiling would run over to the sideline and speak with their father, Mark Dreiling. Mark, a former pole vaulter, served as an unofficial additional coach, providing counsel for his sons. Several other family members sat next to the pole vaulting pits on the back of a truck and cheered for the two Dreiling boys. The Dreilings have done well this season in the pole vault, consistently scoring for TMP the past two seasons, and much of that can be attributed to their support structure. “Everything we do, they support us 100 percent, no matter what,” sophomore Sam Dreiling said. The Dreilings live on a farm southeast of Walker, and their father has gone all out to help them succeed in athletics. Five years ago, Mark Dreiling brought home a used pole vaulting pit that had belonged to a high school for his kids to practice on. Sometimes after practice, the brothers will go home, use the poles their parents bought for them and get some extra practice time in. “I beat myself silly whenever I practice,” Sam Dreiling said. “(Zach) has to tell me to stop.” Mark Dreiling even gets involved sometimes. “He still grabs a pole every now and then and tries vaulting,” Sam said, explaining his father clears anywhere between 8 to 10 feet. It’s not just pole vault, though. Senior Zach Dreiling said they have everything they needed to practice growing up: a football goal post, basketball goal, baseball backstop and pitching mound. “My dad is a sports junkie,” Zach Dreiling said. “There’s nothing he enjoys more than watching sports.” So far, their parents’ support has paid off. Sam Dreiling won the pole vault Thursday at the Mid-Central Activities Association championships at Lewis Field Stadium with a personal-best mark of 13 feet, 6 inches. Zach didn’t have as good of a day and was visibly frustrated after the meet, but he still managed to take third with a mark of 12 feet — six inches short of his season best. The brothers admitted there’s a bit of a family rivalry. They have aimed to break their father’s best high school mark of 13 feet since they started vaulting. Sam tied it earlier in the season and finally broke it Thursday. “I beat it today,” Sam said proudly. However, he said he has no plans of talking smack to him.
Call him the pole vault guru: Allison grooms state champions
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas —Kris Allison had no idea the pole vault pit he built at home in 2002 would develop into a pipeline of state champions. But that “side job” has grown into a 7,800-square-foot facility that includes about 200 practice poles and a video system that allows his students to detect their flaws. This week, he has turned his attention to four Austin-area pole vaulters who will compete at this weekend’s UIL state track and field meet. Westlake’s Nicole Summersett, Wimberley’s Kally Long and Hays’ Meagan Gray and Rebekah Pogue aspire to become the next pole vaulter from Allison’s stable to earn state gold. He already has produced more than a dozen state champions. “Watch the top hand,” Allison told Summersett on Tuesday, after she clipped the crossbar on her 12-foot attempt. Summersett nodded in agreement, then watched video of her vault on a 32-inch TV adjacent to the pit at Allison’s Lone Star Pole Vault Club. “I would love to vault in college someday and eventually make it to the Olympics,” said Summersett, a sophomore whose father Bob competed in the pole vault at Texas. The state meet begins Friday and ends Saturday, bringing in hundreds of competitors from around the state. more
Estala (16-1) signs with Oral Roberts
Wednesday was all about celebrating for Paris senior Justin Estala. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t put in work as well. Estala signed his national letter of intent with Oral Roberts University this afternoon and joins one of the nation’s best pole vaulting programs. “I picked ORU because of the coach,” Estala said. “Coach (Joe) Dial is a former American record holder in the pole vault. He jumped in the 19s so any coach that has jumped in the 19s knows what he is doing.” ORU’s Jack Whitt won the outdoor pole vaulting national championship in 2012. Estala will fit right into the program as he has been ranked in the top 10 among high school vaulters. “We were at the Russellville Cyclones relays and the bar went up to 16-1,” Estala said. “I’d never jumped 16 (feet) before and I cleared it on the first try. We moved it up to 16-4 and cleared it and I was like, ‘man, I can get a scholarship now’.” Estala’s success is nothing new but it is new for first year track and field coach Kelly Edwards. “As a 9th grader he won the conference meet and he was just fearless on the pole,” Edwards said. “You could tell he was dedicated to it and he really took off that year.” Estala will be among 11 vaulters competing in Saturday’s Meet of Champions in Hot Springs but a pair of brothers from Vilonia will be right there pushing him. “My thoughts and expectations for the meet of champions would have to be that I have good competition,” Estala said. “The Wyatt Brothers will be there. They are my friends but they are also my competition. It’s going to be a tough one.” more
U.S. Men Qualifiers For The Moscow ’13 World Championships
PV as of May 6
(A) 5.70 / 18-8¼
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Sam Kendricks—5.81
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Andrew Irwin—5.70
(B) 5.60 / 18-4
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John Prader—5.67
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Jake Blankenship—5.61
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Cale Simmons—5.61
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Jack Whitt—5.61
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Jordan Scott—5.60
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Brad Walker—5.60
- Michael Woepse—5.60
U.S. Women Qualifiers For The Moscow ’13 World Championships
as of May 7
PV (A) 4.60 / 15-1
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Jenn Suhr—5.02
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Kylie Hutson—4.75
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Janice Keppler—4.60
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Mary Saxer—4.60
(B) 4.50 / 14-9
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Lacy Janson—4.53
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Becky Holliday—4.50
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Morgann LeLeux—4.50
Boston officials “imagine” Olympics at committee meeting
Boston’s Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development heard testimony Tuesday from citizens and officials advocating for New England to throw its proverbial hat in the ring, as they consider hosting the Games in 2024. “While security is, and will always be, a major concern in any Olympics, our first responders have proven to be more than up to the task. Our Boston police, fire and EMS have proven to be the most dedicated and prepared in the world,” Boston City Councilor Matthew O’Malley said Tuesday. “Imagine soccer matches in Foxboro, basketball in Springfield, sailing in Newport, rowing along the Charles, tennis in Lowell, beach volleyball at the National Seashore and running the Olympic Marathon down our route, which begins in Hopkinton and ends on Boylston Street. more
