VAULTER Magazine August 2012

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table of contents 8 3 Amazing Male Vaulters: Who Will Take the Win?

14 Boland Pole Vault Academy:

Keeping Dreams Alive for Young South African Vaulters

24 Jade Riebold is not Giving Up

Cover photograph by Victah, Photorun.net

30 Obstacles Don’t Stop Sonia Grabowska 38 Steven Warr and Don Isett

Strong M70 Faceoff for Long-Time Competitors

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MAGAZINE Bjorn Otto

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FROM THE EDITOR It’s finally time for the 2012 London Olympic Games! Hopefully we will all be watching how the competition unfolds for our favorite vaulters. This month’s issue is filled with stories of sportsmanship, competition, success and defeat, and all the drama that keeps the world of sports so entertaining and so much fun.

One very intense read this month is our article on Jade Riebold who had her Olympic dreams taken away. She flew all the way to Trials only to be turned away, but her positive and determined outlook is inspiring. She is not giving up.

Sonia Grabowska, from Warsaw, Poland, is another inspiring athlete featured this month. Make sure to read about her transition to the United States and how she has overcome so much in her athletic career. Through injury, changing countries and equipment issues this athlete has managed to gain some incredible height.

have seen in the world of pole vaulting through their careers are incredible too. Don’t miss this heart-warming story.

Last month we read about Brad Walker and what he has overcome in his career. Now he has made the 2012 US Olympic Team and has some amazing competition. Make sure to read about how his jumps compare to Germany’s Bjorn Otto and France’s Renaud Lavillenie. You can make your own guesses on what the outcome will be, but these three men are jumping some tremendous heights and you will want to see what they are and how they measure up.

We hope you enjoy this month’s dramatic and exciting journey. Please keep reading and stay tuned. There will be more exciting athletes and competition to check in with in the months to come. And don’t forget to check out the 2012 Olympic Games.

Also in this issue we take a look at Boland Pole Vault Academy in South Africa. You won’t want to miss reading about how this unique facility for vaulters is keeping vaulting alive in a country that does not make this task easy. Its founder, Louis Nienaber, gives us a look at the situation over in South Africa and how they are helping vaulters jump high.

And who doesn’t enjoy some friendly competition?

Our article about seventy year old vaulters Steven Warr and Don Isett embodies the idea of camaraderie and sportsmanship. The heights these men are jumping are incredible. The changes they

Maksim Mazurik

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3 Amazing Male Vaulters:

Who Will Take the Win?

By: Michelle Walthall The 2012 Olympic Games promise to bring some fierce competition in the Men’s Pole Vault. Three Olympic competitors in particular are causing quite a stir in the pole vaulting community.

United States vaulter Brad Walker (also the American record holder), German vaulter Bjorn Otto, and French vaulter Renaud Lavillenie promise to bring some great height

to the Games if they all keep vaulting the way they have been. Although you can never predict what will happen in athletic competitions, the achievements of these three men show that they each have what it takes to walk away winners.

Brad Walker is certainly one to watch out for. Currently holding the American record at 19’-9.75”,

he is no stranger to jumping high.

And even though the 2008 Beijing Olympics didn’t go as he expected he has many wins to show that 2012 could certainly go better for him. At the Trials Walker won his fourth US Outdoor title with a jump of 18’-07” 1/4 (5.67M). So Walker has definitely had a great start to this Olympic season and, if his momentum keeps up, he will bring

Renaud Lavillenie some stiff competition.

Walker is a three-time USA Outdoor champion with wins in 2009 (5.75m/18-10.25), 2007 (5.70m/188.25) and 2005 (5.75m/18-10.25).

He has is also a four-time USA Indoor champion with wins in 2012 (5.86m/19’2), 2008 (5.70m/18-

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08.25), 2006 (5.75m/18-10.25) and 2005 (5.65m/18-6.5). Walker has also done well internationally.

He is a 2008 World Indoor Championships silver medalist (5.85m/19-2.50), a 2007 World Outdoor Championships gold medalist (5.86m/19-2.75), a 2006 World Indoor Championships gold

medalist (5.80m/19-0.25) and a 2005 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist (5.75m/18-10.25).

And at the collegiate level Walker was a two-time NCAA Indoor champion in 2004 (5.70m/18-8.25) and 2003 (5.80m/19-0.25), and a two-time PAC-10 champion in 2002 and 2003 (5.55m/18-2.50). Very

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MAGAZINE impressive resume! Good luck in London and continued success to Brad Walker.

German vaulter Bjorn Otto has been holding his own in the pole vault as well. He jumped his best of 5.92m in Helsinki and Potsdam, and at AREVA Paris he took third with a jump of 5.72m. No doubt he is making his country proud. And since Germany is sending their smallest Olympic team since 1990 this year, doing well in London will bring Otto much respect and honor. He is one of only 391 athletes Germany is sending to London this year. This is a drastic decrease from the 440 they sent to Beijing in 2008. With so much to gain for his country, Otto cannot be counted out to do well in the Games.

Athletics Championships in Helsinki in 2012 with jumps of 5.85m, 5.95m and 5.97m respectively. He may not need it with marks like his, but good luck to Renaud Lavillenie in London as well.

Nobody can say what will happen, but it will be fun to see if any of these amazing vaulters end up on the podium in London this year. Only time will tell, and we will have to endure the anticipation until all jumps have been made. Medals are very real possibilities for these three.

Let’s hope all goes well for them and keep an eye out for some exciting vaulting at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Other accomplishments for Bjorn Otto include taking the silver at the World Indoor Championships, the World Athletics Final and the European Championships. He also took the bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships and was a finalist at the World Championships. Keep up the good work Bjorn Otto. Make your country proud in London.

Another fierce competitor is French vaulter Renaud Lavillenie who won the 2012 European Championships with jumps of 5.92m and 5.97m. He is currently the world leader. This year Lavillenie also had his fourth win in a row at AREVA Paris where he started his jumping at 5.62m (while others started at 5.32m) and then passed at 5.72m. He is soaring over the competition. This guy will definitely give the other vaulters a run for their money if he keeps it up.

Lavillenie has an impressive Outdoor PR of 6.01m (which earned him first place at the 1st SPAR European Team Championships in Leiria in 2009) and an equally impressive Indoor PR of 6.03m (which earned him first place at the 31st European Athletics Indoor Championships in Paris in 2011). He also has a list of other wins to prove he has what it takes to bring some height to the 2012 Games. In 2009 Lavillenie took first place at the 30th European Athletics Indoor Championships with a jump of 5.81m.

He also took first place at the 20th European Athletics Championships in Barcelona in 2010, the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Istanbul in 2012 and the 21st European

Bjorn Otto

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Adam PA-IAK

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Scott Roth

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Boland Pole Vault Academy:

Keeping Dreams Alive for Young South African Vaulters By: Michelle Walthall

Athletes of the Academy during our annual Beachvault

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Nine years ago National Junior pole vault champion Louis Nienaber moved to Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa. He currently works full time as an insurance broker, but coaches to keep his passion for pole vaulting alive. Nienaber is also the Masters national record holder in his age group and has been coaching pole vaulters since 1981. He has produced several Provincial and National champions over the years. Okkert Brits, who went on to jump 6m, was coached by Nienaber at the high school level. The Western Cape is lucky to have such a dedicated coach in their midst.

Soon after Nienaber’s move to Paarl, parents got together and created Boland Pole Vault Academy.

Athletes from the surrounding Paarl schools are able to attend the academy with most of them attending Paarl Gymnasium High School and Paarl Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools. Now there are 20 school-aged athletes taking part in the program as well as a few university and college students.

jumped 4.7m and junior girl, Jameson, jumped 3.5m.

Wilhelm Bronn and Natasha Obermeyer jumped heights of 3.8m and 3.0m in the youth category. In the sub-youth category Lukas van der Watt jumped 3.4m and Kaytlen Sparks jumped 3.2m.

And there are opportunities for these athletes to show off their height as well. Nienaber says, “[A] numerous [amount] of our academy’s athletes participate at our National Youth and Junior Championships which is the highlight of our season. Here in our area the school athletes first have to qualify for Central Boland, then the Boland team and then finally the Western Cape Schools’ team which takes part in the SA School Championships. If an athlete performs exceptionally well they can qualify for the Athletics South Africa (ASA) team.”

With two coaches and two pole vault locations, there is a lot of activity at this unique academy. Louis Nienaber coaches pole vault technique three times a week in Paarl on the two pole vault pits at Paarl Gymnasium High School and JP Van As coaches three times a week in Stellenbosch using the poles of the Academy and the facilities of the University of Stellenbosch. Jan Louis Nienaber, the son of Louis Nienaber, was also assistant coach for a while. And Nienaber tells us that, “As Okkert Brits was an athlete of [mine] - he gets involved at our major competitions and events. He is a big inspiration to our athletes and coaches.”

One particularly exciting development at BPVA is Nienaber’s new program coaching a group of 10 year old boys and girls. With the help of a new ten foot pole, with a high bend for younger vaulters, being created

by Saltus Poles this young group hopes to gain some height. The athletes at Boland also get to look forward to Nienaber’s yearly clinic held at Sasolburg’s Pole Vault Academy and also in Stellenbosch. The annual Street Vault in Paarl and annual Beach Vault in Somerset Strand are highlights to their year as well. These events are held in December (which is the summer South Africa) and vaulters are grouped by height and jump throughout the day. “This is a fun event for the whole family,” Nienaber says of these events.

The Boland Pole Vault Academy athletes are getting some height this year too. Junior boy, Samuel Pellisier,

This photo was taken by coach, Louis Nienaber. The athlete is Natasha Obermeyer, 15 year old girl from Paarl Girls High School (member of Boland Pole Vault Academy) . Event: SA School and ASA Championship held in Germiston in March 2012. She quilified for the ASA Team and competed for girls U17.

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We found out from Nienaber that the cost of one pole is equal to the average monthly income of some South African people (which is 5,000 South African Rand- equal to about 608 US dollars), so vaulting is a very expensive sport for this country. This is why the Boland Pole Vault Academy is so important to its athletes. Due to the expense there are very few dedicated coaches and academies providing coaching to kids in pole vaulting. The mats, poles and other facilities are very few for BPVA, if available at all, and funding from sport administrators in South Africa in non-

existent. However Boland is fortunate to have two sets of mats in Paarl, owned by Nienaber, and two sets of mats in Stellenbosch- the training place for a number of overseas athletes from Poland, Austria and Sweden as well as the British and Gemans in December. “We have good vaulters who compete at the high school level, but unfortunately we do not have support for average athletes to put them in a financial position to keep on vaulting after completing school,” Nienaber tells us.

Thankfully Boland has received

some financial breaks and has been able to keep going. Nienaber says, “Initially we obtained sponsorship from the ‘Sport Trust’ in South Africa and a trailer was built which can hold 150 poles of all sizes from 10’6” up to 16’5”. This may be the most comprehensive range owned by an individual in the world. These poles were bought over many years.

Unfortunately we have one pole per size and we are haunted by breakages and it is our dream to replace these poles with new ones. Essx poles made a full set of 12’6” poles on our request at a very reasonable price. The rest

Boland Pole Vault Academy’s medal winners at Boland School Championship for 2012 is from left to right: Wilhelm Brönn (Gold Boys u 17), Kulthoom Gaidiem (Bronze Girls U19), Natasha Obermeyer, (Gold Girls U 17), Leanne Lourens (Bronze Girls U17), Lukas van der Watt (Gold Boys U15), Nadio Gilliomee (Silver Girls U17) and Hennie Beukes (Silver Boys U17).

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of the poles are predominantly Pacer, Spirit and Saltus Poles (made in South Africa). Pole vault is a much neglected sport in South Africa and therefore parents are the biggest sponsors of new poles for which we are very grateful.”

A special thank you goes out to one parent, Annelise Obermeyer, who does her best to help out where she can even though BPVA has no parent coaching. Also, in addition to the two sets of mats and the poles, Boland has been able to secure two portable runups, two sets of uprights, a homemade trampoline to teach extensions, rock back machines in most of the athletes’ homes and a gymnastics hall at Paarl Boys High School with enough equipment for the basic exercises.

Climate is another obstacle, in addition to the financial problems, for BPVA. Even though they’d love to jump all year, it’s not happening for them since they do not have any indoor facilities available to any pole vaulters and this is their biggest need. During the winter months they concentrate on gymnastics (ropes, high bar, parallel bar and floor work)

since there is a lot of rainfall during the winter in their area of South Africa.

Most of Boland’s athletes also compete in other sports such as hockey, netball and rugby so at least they get to stay fit and well exercised during winter.

It’s inspiring how Boland Pole Vault Academy is making it happen with such limited resources and support. Coach Nienaber, Coach Van

Our mats, with portable runups, we do not have tartan runup,and the polevault trailer in which I keep the poles.

As, the parents, volunteers, student athletes and sponsors have shown great dedication in keeping this facility going. The passion at Boland is evident when Nienaber states, “At the Boland Pole Vault Academy we eat, sleep pole vault every moment of the day!” We wish them much success in keeping pole vaulting alive in South Africa.

Developement on the beach at Strand

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Jade Riebold is not Giving Up By: Michelle Walthall

Success has not come easily for Jade Riebold, sophomore pole vaulter for Eastern Illinois University.

Transitioning from high school to college athletics brought some challenges for her. Minimal experience with pole vaulting before college, transitioning between schools, and physical injuries threatened to get in her way, but she refused to let these issues get the best of her. “My biggest impact from high school to college was overcoming injuries,” Riebold

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said, “I only competed 1 1/2 years of pole vault in high school.” She also told us, “I started out at the University of Georgia, then had a back surgery my sophomore year and redshirted.

I then transferred to Eastern Illinois University to better my pole vaulting career.”

And Riebold has been successful in bettering her career as she was named female Student-Athlete of the Week during the last week of April on

the EIU website (www.eiupanthers. com). “Riebold had a pair of first place finishes in the pole vault during the week. She won the EIU Tweener with a school and stadium record vault of 14’1.75”. That mark made her a provisional qualifier for the US Olympic Trials. Over the weekend she placed first in the pole vault at the Drake Relays,” the website reads. And the hunger and drive in Riebold came through as she said that reaching her PR of 14’1.75”, which also broke the

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school and stadium record, has made her “happy but hungry for higher bars.” She is looking to go even further and hopes to jump over 15 feet next year.

Riebold also had some big goals for 2012. “My goals were to make Nationals indoor and outdoor and to qualify for the Olympic Trials,” she said.

And she did manage to overcome her challenges and make Nationals indoor and outdoor and end up sitting 23 out of 24 vaulters for the Trials. Riebold even told us, “I have been jumping in meets to try and raise my PR to secure my spot.” She even confidently said, “I will be getting faster and stronger all summer.”

If any athlete deserved to compete in the Trials it was Jade Riebold. She has worked very hard to earn her spot, and was doing everything she could to keep herself ready for her shot in the Trials. However, as Riebold tried to check in at the Trials she was told

by Sue Humphries, who was in charge of checking in the athletes, that her name was not on the list. Apparently Riebold was notified too late, after 3 vaulters ahead of her were disqualified, that she was able to compete and missed being there in time to qualify.

An article by Danny Damiani from The Daily Eastern News (www. dennews.com) quotes Riebold as

saying, “I was at my lake house in South Carolina when I got a call at 2 a.m. saying that I could compete in the trials…there were no flights scheduled from the area to Oregon at that time…

She [Sue Humphries] said I had to be there, in person, on Friday in order to qualify…She said I should’ve flown out way earlier.” Unfortunately Riebold was unable to get a flight until 4 p.m. and had no options to fly out any earlier. What makes matters worse is that weather acted up, making Riebold believe the delay would allow her to compete, but then the 3 previously disqualified were allowed to compete again which bumped her out once more. The 4th place height also ended up being a 14.5 which Riebold has surpassed.

So Riebold is forced to miss out on her Olympic dream this year, but she is not letting that keep her from moving forward. The Daily Eastern News article by Danny Damaniani also quotes Riebold as saying, “I should’ve made the Olympics…They took my dream away, but I’m not going to give up.” Hopefully she can still jump over 15 feet next year and continue with the success she’s been having up to

this point. She definitely has plenty to keep her busy and future goals to keep her motivated.

The indoor facility at EIU is where training happens for Riebold. She calls it “a really good place to jump” and says her coach at EIU, Kyle Ellis, is the reason she came to EIU in the first place. “He has helped me day in and day out,” Riebold says of her coach, “He’s really good at the technical aspect in the sport.” When asked what poles she uses while training, Riebold tells us she uses “13’6 carbon poles holding between 13ft and 13ft and 2 inches”. She also uses diet to supplement her training and keep her body up for all the work. “Nutrition is easy because I have always watched what I have eaten,” Riebold says, “I usually try and eat fruits and protein the most. I try not to eat many fattening foods or sweets.” Such discipline has for sure helped her get to where she is now as well.

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In addition to her training Riebold also works with Buckeye Pole Vault Club in her home state of Ohio. She tells us she has always worked there.

Working in her home state comes in handy too when she gets the family influence and support that she does.

“My family is my biggest influence [in pole vaulting],” Riebold says fondly of her family, “They have never missed a meet and are always there

cheering me on and believing in me no matter what I jump.” Riebold also says, “My family support is tremendous. My family does whatever they can to help me out and complete my goals.” No doubt her family is very proud of her success in overcoming her injuries and doing so well. Their support should come in handy as Riebold moves past the disappointment of the Trials, and throughout her future plans.

As Riebold looks up to her favorite pole vaulter, Steve Hooker, younger and beginning vaulters have an athlete to look up to in her.

W h e n asked

what she would tell beginning vaulters that do look up to her Riebold responds: “Patience; because pole vaulting is not an easy sport. It takes dedication and a lot of time to learn.”

To those pole vaulters who are still in high school and struggling Riebold says, “…be patient. Pole vault is all about having fun, but working hard at the same time. If a high schooler was struggling I’d tell them to clear their mind and write some weekly goals down with their coach. This way it is easier to get less frustrated when you have goals in mind.” She also has good advice to pole vaulters looking at colleges. “I’d recommended not going where the biggest scholarship is given,” Riebold says, “I’d recommend them going to a place that is going to make them a better vaulter; a place that has good facilities and coaches.”

Her success says it all, and these words are sound advice for pole vaulters to take to heart.

It looks like the world of pole vault will see a lot of Riebold in the future as well. Beyond the Olympics Riebold has much more to look forward to in her promising future.

With a major in recreation administration, she wants to stay in the world of pole vaulting. “I want to be a professional pole vaulter one day,” Riebold says, “as well as a personal trainer and a motivational speaker.

I’d like to also open up my own gym one day.” Good luck to Jade Riebold in the future.

Keep that dedication and determination going.

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Obstacles Don’t Stop

Sonia Grabowska By: Michelle Walthall

Originally from Warsaw, Poland, coming to the United States has been a transition for Sonia Grabowskaespecially when it comes to the altitude and culture differences.

However, in spite of dealing with the transition she has managed to achieve quite a lot in her athletic career here in the U.S. Grabowska first set out to find scholarships with coaches in mind and ended up at Utah State University where she has been making a name for herself.

Some of Grabowska’s accomplishments while vaulting in the U.S. include earning academic all-WAC honors in 2008 2009 and 2011, being named second-team allWAC after placing fifth in pole vault at the 2008 Indoor Championships, being named first-team all-WAC after placing third in the pole vault at the 2008 Outdoor Championships, being named first-team all-WAC after finishing second in the pole vault at the 2009 Indoor Championships, setting a new Utah State school record in the outdoor pole vault

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(4.21m) in 2009, being named first-team all-WAC after finishing second in the pole vault at the 2010 Outdoor Championships, being named to the USTFCCCA preseason indoor top 50 for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, setting a new Utah State school record in the indoor pole vault (4.25m) in 2011, receiving firstteam all-WAC honors after winning the pole vault at the 2011 Indoor Championships, and being named honorable mention All-American after participating in the 2011 NCAA Indoor Championships in the pole vault.

Grabowska has had some help from a few different coaches in the U.S. to help her achieve so much success through her transition. Her first United States coach was Joel Johnson. Now, by going to so many different meets, Grabowska finds comfort and appreciates help from other coaches as well. She says a big “thank you” definitely goes out to Anthony Curran, UCLA coach. His help, tips and presence was definitely a huge motivator and she says she loved being around him. She also says that Coach Curran’s UCLA team

was always great and it was such a pleasure jumping with his girls, and it was always lots of fun! Also Toby Stevenson was a great help, as well as Jason Graham (University of Idaho).

Even though Grabowska is relatively new to the United States, she is not new to athletics or track and field. And her introduction to pole vaulting came about very randomly.

In elementary school and junior high school the majority of Grabowka’s 10 required hours of physical education each week consisted of track. She did participate in all sorts of team sports as well - basketball, volleyball, hand ball, soccer etc. - but her main focus was track and field.

She ran hurdles, threw the javelin, and the summer before she started high school Grabowska attended a summer camp where she picked a coach who was impressed by her javelin throwing and convinced her to try pole vaulting. Coach Andrzej Gawenda was the one that came to the club and made her start pole vaulting properly.

When high school started for Grabowska that September she had her first practice with the pole vault coach and, in her words, she “just stuck to it”. By that

December she was clearing 3.00m (almost 10’).

She may have obstacles to overcome in the United States, but even before coming to the U.S. Grabowska has had to overcome obstacles and endure the roller coaster of defeat following victory. Early in her career injuries threatened to hold her back. Grabowska broke her hand and missed competing in the Polish U18 Indoor Championships. By the end of the outdoor competition she was jumping 3.40m (about 11’), but did not do well at the Polish U18 Outdoor Championships; it was raining, the weather was bad and she felt the pressure of being ranked one of the top vaulters.

In her second year of vaulting Grabowska improved her indoor best to 3.80m (12 5 ) and her outdoor best to 3.90m (12 9 ½ ).

These heights won her both Indoor and Outdoor U21 titles, and she was aiming for 4.00m (13’1”) to qualify for Junior World Championships in Beijing. However, at the Outdoor Polish Championships she jumped 3.90m (12 9 ½ ) and injured her Achilles tendon which caused her to

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miss out on qualifying for the Polish Team at the age of 18.

Grabowska eventually did get to represent her country with her pole vaulting. She represented Poland for the first time at the Poland-Germany U21 Dual Match. Her second time representing Poland was at the U23 European Championships, at which time she was ranked 9th in Europe.

Sadly, Grabowska did not make it through prelims because she tore her Achilles tendon again and had surgery two days after she came back home from Lithuania.

In addition to physical injuries and adjustments to a new country, getting the right equipment with all of her traveling has presented another challenge for Grabowska which she has again found a way to overcome. It is told to us that after completion of her NCAA, and when competing in Poland, she travels without poles often. She didn’t ship poles from Utah State to Warsaw either, it was too expensive. Instead Grabowska jumped on old poles as well as borrowed poles; a few from Joanna Piwowarska. She jumped on her poles in Germany and Lithuania and always found her generous in loaning out her poles.

Back in Poland Grabowska also had coaches who helped her achieve success and get through her challenges. In addition to Coach Andrzej Gawenda, when at home she adapted to the coaching of Roman Dakiniewicz and Wlodzimierz Michalski- coaches of Lukasz Michalski and Pawel Wojciechowski.

Grabowska also worked with Boguslawa Klimaszewskathe

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junior national team coach mostly responsible for conditioning.

Dakiniewicz, Michalski and Klimaszewska were responsible for the whole team at OTC in Poland.

Grabowska also receives a good word from time to time from Gold Medalist Olympian Wladyslaw Kozakiewicz (Wally), and from Jacek Torlinski- Anna Rogowska’s coach. However, she has mostly enjoyed working with Wiacheslaw Kalinichenko (Monika Pyrek’s coach) and their group. Grabowska says he has a great eye for details, and that she respects him a lot. She also says that hearing Kalinichenko’s praise of “maladec”, which means “good job” in Ukraine where he is from, was amazing. Grabowska only had a chance to work with him for a couple of weeks when she was home during Christmas break last year, but she emphasizes that it was a big part of jumping her PR of 4.25m her junior year in college.

So Grabowska is no stranger to the ups and downs of the pole vault and she manages to hold her own. Her accomplishments are worth being very proud of- especially since she has overcome so much. What is also amazing about her success is that she is accomplishing so much when she actually only practices full-approach jumping one day a week. And while she was also complimented in her sophomore year for using a 16 step approach from about 105-107 feet, after she was injured the second time her limit has been reduced to 14 steps only. This girl does not let setbacks get in her way. She is one to watch out for in 2012.

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Dustin DeLeo

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Strong M70 Faceoff for Long-Time Competitors

Steven Warr and Don Isett By: Michelle Walthall Steven Warr says that he and long-time competitor Don Isett (Dallas) “…have been competing head-to-head for the world best…” Amazingly Warr and Isett are both seventy years old and still vaulting strong. In Coppell, at the Texas Master’s Championship on June 23rd, Isett took the title of world leader with a jump of 10’ to Warr’s 9’6”. Isett may be ahead for now, but they are not done competing yet, and anything can happen. Either way their camaraderie is wonderful to see.

It’s either one’s game with these two. “Don and I tied for the best indoor height at Albuquerque last year at 3m (9’ 10”). Don got the gold on misses,” Warr says, “I fell a little off the pace in the summer, but Don bested the American record with a jump of 3.23m (10’ 7”). He also won WAVA world championship gold with 3.20m (10’ 6”) in Sacramento on July 15th - I only managed 4th with 2.90m (9’6”). Don capped his awesome jumps with an indoor world record of 3.35m (just 1/8” short of 11’) in Joshua, TX on January 7th. He and I are currently one and two in the national indoor standings.”

It is astonishing that Warr and Isett are jumping these heights now- especially for Isett. Warr tells us, “…In 1957, at Garland High School, Don jumped his PR of 10’ on a Swedish steel pole and didn’t again touch any kind of pole until almost fifty years later in 2005. He had retired from his business which made computer aided design stitching machines…”

Don Isett

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So how did Isett get back into shape after his long absence? Warr says, “To keep in shape Don gravitated to track and field expecting the high and long jumps to be his events of focus. Having watched modern vaulters bend the fiberglass pole, he was a little daunted to try it. His curiosity forced him to it,

the vaulter magazine 2012

but of course the pole refused to bend for him.

Still he cleared 8’3” that year stick vaulting. He credits me with inspiring him to learn to bend by watching my consistent 10’6” clearances. In 2006 I was number one in the world in M65.

We vaulted together at every meet in 05 and 06 and I marveled at his improvement and, as vaulters do, offered Steven Warr unrelenting advice. Don continued to improve, but I always managed to beat him until he advanced into the M70 in 2010. Unfortunately, that trend continues now with him getting better at the tutelage of coaches Henley at Dallas Jesuit High School and currently Buzz and Chad Andrews, and me falling off (a vaulter who coaches himself has a fool for an athlete?).” The friendly completion between these two no doubt adds to the joy of the sport for them.

Unlike Isett, Warr stuck with pole vaulting all these years. He has remained a part of it through the many changes. He says, “…my first experience was on a bamboo pole at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay Oregon…my introduction to fiberglass was at tiny Lowell High School (near Eugene, Oregon) where I was named head track coach in 1973…Several of my boys and I learned how to bend the pole together. In my early forties, I made my all-time PR of 12’. In the early 1980s I moved my family to the Houston area where I’ve taught Mathematics and Computer Science in several high schools. About five years after the move, I asked track coach, John Weirsma of Cypress Creek High School if he could use some help with the pole vault. He leapt at the offer and I’ve coached district, regional and state champion pole vaulters at Cypress Creek, Magnolia, and now at Klein High...I’m loving the vault again.” The next time Warr and Isett meet will be at Lisle, Illinois for the National Outdoor Master’s Championship on August 3rd.

We look forward to figuring out the results.

July 2012 issue

www.thevaultermag.com

Derek Miles Derek Miles

2012 the vaulter magazine

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the vaulter magazine 2012

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