Kyle McDaniel Article (Saginaw Valley State)

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http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs ... 40327/1006

McDaniel vaults to success for Cardinals

By DAREN TOMHAVE
Times Herald


Making an impact in his first year on the Saginaw Valley State University men's track team surprises Kyle McDaniel.

But doing it in the pole vault, well, even the freshman from Yale admits, "I think it kind of caught me off-guard."

But, with three indoor meets under his belt, McDaniel already owns a pair of victories in an event he more or less dabbled in as a four-year standout at Yale, where he was a state qualifier in four events - none of which were the pole vault.

"That was my cool down (in high school)," McDaniel said of the event, which his father Rob oversaw as a Yale assistant coach. "I went over there (to the pole vault) and had some fun with it, just learning a little bit of the basics. I got to do it in a couple of small dual meets ... and I'd do 11 feet. It was just something I was playing around with."

Not anymore. With a vault of 14 feet Saturday, McDaniel claimed victory in the 18th annual SVSU Indoor Collegiate Open at Ryder Arena and was selected for the Times HeraldAthlete of the Week honor.

"He's got all of the makings to be a pole vaulter," Yale Coach Brian Bearss said. "He has good sprinter speed, he's wiry and he's not really heavy, he's aggressive and he has the right attitude. For him, it was just a matter of having the time to devote to it."

McDaniel also won the event Jan. 13 in the 12th annual Cardinal Indoor Collegiate Open with an effort of 13-6, earn-

ing him success earlier than he anticipated.

"I thought it would be a couple of years," McDaniel said. "Because, I'm even young for my age. I thought it would take a year or two to build up. I even thought about red-shirting so I could spend some time getting stronger."

McDaniel arrived at Saginaw Valley after a stellar senior season at Yale, where he was a Division 2 state qualifier in the 300-meter hurdles, 110 hurdles, high jump and as a member of the 400 relay team, setting the school record for most points in a season.

He follows brother Tony, who is a sophomore throwing the javelin for SVSU.

A versatile performer for the Bulldogs, McDaniel has put the asset to good use for the Cardinals. He'll compete Friday and Saturday in the pentathlon at the Findlay Track and Field Classic in Findlay, Ohio. The pentathlon includes five events: the high jump, long jump, 60 hurdles, 1,000 run and the shot.

"I'm just going to enjoy myself with it," he said.

In preparation for the shot, McDaniel said he's picked up some pointers from red-shirt freshman Sean Egan, a former Marysville standout who won the event last Saturday.

McDaniel finished fifth in the event last Saturday with a distance of 28-6½.

"I wasn't too hot in that," he said.

McDaniel also finished fifth in the high jump (6 feet) and was seventh on the Cardinals' 1,600 "B" relay team (3 minutes, 39.38 seconds). He's planning to compete in the 400 hurdles during the outdoor season, and hopes to continue competing in the multi-events to utilize his versatility.

"Yeah, because I'm not really great in any one thing, but I'm good at doing a lot of little things," he said. "I feel like I should excel, hopefully."