Brian Mondschein Article (Virginia Tech)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/college/24949.html

Just getting started

Tech All-American Brian Mondschein was born into a family rich in track and field success.

By Mark Berman
981-3125
The Roanoke Times


BLACKSBURG - An All-American would be the most accomplished athlete in most families. On Brian Mondschein's family tree, however, it's just a good start.

"I'm still kind of working my way up that one," said Mondschein, an All-American pole vaulter at Virginia Tech. Mondschein will compete in the NCAA outdoor track and field championships in Sacramento, Calif., this week. But the biggest name in his family is his grandfather Irv Mondschein, who finished eighth in the decathlon at the 1948 Olympics. He was a three-time U.S. champ in the decathlon and a two-time NCAA champ in the high jump. He was the head coach of Israel's track and field team in the 1952 Olympics, became Penn's head coach and was the coach of the U.S. decathletes at the 1988 Olympics.

"His grandfather is a legend," said Dave Cianelli, Virginia Tech's director of track and field and cross country. "Brian's father and uncle were outstanding athletes in their own right. ... The Mondschein name is synonymous with excellence in track and field."

Mondschein's uncle and namesake is Kutztown (Pa.) University coach Brian Mondschein, a former Virginia assistant who was an All-American decathlete and an Olympic Trials participant. Mondschein's father, Mark Mondschein, was the first high school athlete on the East Coast to clear 15 feet in the pole vault and was a pole vaulter and decathlete at Penn.

"Every track meet I go to, somebody knows my grandfather or someone knows my dad or my uncle," said Mondschein, a fourth-year junior.

Mondschein grew up in Hummelstown, Pa., next door to the famous town of Hershey. He graduated from Hershey High School, where his father - an airline pilot - coaches the pole vaulters. Mondschein's father began coaching him after he completed eighth grade.

"My parents never really pushed me into track. It was just something I was naturally drawn to," Mondschein said.

Mondschein became a high school state champ in the pole vault. But when he joined the Hokies as a walk-on he was "physically underdeveloped," said Cianelli.

No longer. After growing three inches and hitting the weight room, Mondschein is tall, strong and fast - all assets in the pole vault. He is 6-foot-5 and weighs 185 pounds.

A two-time Big East outdoor champ, Mondschein swept the ACC indoor and outdoor titles in the pole vault this year. He finished fifth at the NCAA indoor championships in March (17 feet, 8 1/2 inches) and won the NCAA East Regional meet two weeks ago.

"He does have the ability to become an elite-level vaulter on the national scene, but he'll have to invest time after college," Cianelli said.

There are several elements to the pole vault - the approach on the runway (Mondschein likes to run for about 35 meters before taking off), the plant and fast swing off the ground, and getting over the bar cleanly. So Mondschein doesn't just practice his event but also lifts weights, works with the sprints coach and toils in the gymnastics room.

Yes, gymnastics is part of his week. Tech pole vault coach Bob Phillips supervises Mondschein on the rings, high bar and trampoline to help him with his aerial work in the pole vault.

"My coordination was not the best coming out of high school," Mondschein said.

Mondschein, a mechanical engineering major who is now on partial scholarship, also studies a lot of film.

"He pays attention to every aspect of the vault," Phillips said. "On the guys' side, he's the most consistent vaulter I've ever had."

There are several decisions to be made with each vault, such as what type of pole to use. Mondschein takes eight poles of varying lengths and stiffness to a meet. The poles, which cost about $500 apiece, were sent last week via UPS to the team's Sacramento hotel.

"It's a sport where having the right equipment's everything, even more so than golf," Mondschein said.

Unlike most collegiate pole vaulters, Mondschein wears a safety helmet when vaulting - because father knows best.

"My dad asked me to do it when I started vaulting," Mondschein said. "He knew it [the event] was dangerous. It'd feel weird to jump without it now."

Mondschein didn't advance to the finals at last year's NCAA outdoor meet but should do better this week. His vault of 17-6 1/2 at the ACC outdoor meet ties him for the eighth-best height in the field for the NCAA championships, which run Wednesday through Saturday. His father will be on hand to cheer him on.

"He's a good bit better than I was," Mondschein's father said.

Mondschein is going to stick with the pole vault. He doesn't intend to follow his grandfather, father and uncle and become a decathlete.

"I tell people he could be a really good decathlete, but he's so much into his engineering," said Irv Mondschein, 81, who helps son Brian out as a part-time Kutztown assistant.

"I was thinking about running one [decathlon] in the summer just for fun, but every time I get to the end of the season my body just kind of runs down," Mondschein said.

He doesn't need to be a decathlete for his family to be proud of him.

"He's the culmination," Irv Mondschein said. "He's so much better an athlete than all of us."

[VTechVaulter]

i would like to clear up 2 things

1. i despise engineering,

2. my grandfather was a far better athlete than i

[Scott Go Pre]

That is true, your grandfather was such a great athlete, he was amazing back in his day. I bet he could pull about 2000-3000 today if he tried!