Intrasquad Rivalry Propels ISU Vaulters

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POCATELLO, Idaho— Athletes are often inspired to achieve greatness by others who have come before them. If the athlete is lucky, they may have the opportunity to compete against the person who fuels them to transcend previously set marks. Idaho State teammates, junior Mike Arnold and senior Sam Pierson are fortunate in that they have daily access to the person who motivates them to excel; they have each other. Practicing alongside one another is a constant reminder of who the competition is. If they were on different teams, perhaps their relationship would be considered a rivalry. As it stands, however, Pierson and Arnold are friends, who happen to contend for the same titles.

“Mike and I are great friends and training partners,” Pierson said. “I think our friendship and personalities drive us to be better training partners than if we were enemies. We both want each other to achieve the goals we have and we both have an intense drive to reach them. In a way we are rivals because we both want to be the best, but we always encourage one another and do what we can to help the other succeed or improve.”

“We are always pushing each other, because that’s what gets us better,” Arnold said. “We have a friendship, but we are also very competitive. That helps a lot, because you have the support of the other person, and you know that he is always going to be trying to get a little bit ahead of you, and you try to do the same thing. So, we keep improving and building off of each other’s accomplishments.”

Their friendly, yet competitive approach seems to be paying off. The Bengal pole-vaulters have owned the Big Sky Conference for the past two years. Pierson took the 09-10 outdoor championships, with Arnold placing second. Additionally in 09-10, Arnold garnered a conference title in the indoor meet. Switching roles, in 08-09 Pierson won the indoor championship and the outdoor victory went to Arnold, with Pierson finishing second.

Yet with all of their success and potential, Pierson and Arnold remain humble and quietly confident, attributing much of their success to coaching. For Pierson, it started with his father’s leadership.

“I got into pole vault when I was in middle school because my older brother started to vault,” Pierson said. “My dad was a pole-vaulter in high school and college and when he started coaching my brother I just couldn’t resist. My dad is a great coach and is still coaching in Pueblo, Colorado.”

Both athletes, however, came to ISU because of head coach Dave Nielson, whose resume includes 27 seasons of experience, and who led one of ISU’s all-time greats, Stacy Dragila, to an Olympic Gold Medal in pole vault. He knows the formula for success, and is greatly respected by both Pierson and Arnold.

“They main reason why a lot of pole-vaulters come here is for Dave,” Arnold said. “That’s the reason I came here, and that is the reason Sam came here; anyone who has been successful here, you have to give a lot of that credit to Dave. He has this ability to get the best out of every athlete that he works with. Our coaches are phenomenal; they are smart about training, and they will basically take you as far as you want to go. Sam and I always want to keep learning and Dave has the information we need to keep progressing.”

“Dave is a genius,” Pierson said. “He has to be the smartest coach in the country and has an ability to put coaching cues into terms each athlete can understand. Dave was and still is an amazing athlete. He understands what it takes to compete at the next level, so that is something I try to take from him. I do feel lucky to have him as a coach and I hope to continue learning from him. I don’t think you can ever know all there is to know about pole vault, but Dave is pretty close.”

Pole-vaulters are a unique breed of athlete. The science behind pole vaulting is as complex, if not more, than any sport out there. Some of the things that pole-vaulters are able to execute are seemingly super-human. After all, it is not every day that one can harness enough energy to propel the human body into the air using only foot speed and a flexible pole. The power combined with finesse and fluidity is something unparalleled in sport. Technique is important, but according to Pierson and Arnold, it is not the only thing involved in being a great vaulter.

“To be a pole-vaulter you need to be a little bit off your rocker,” Pierson said. “It takes guts to swing upside down and get catapulted into the air hoping you land on the pit. A pole-vaulter should be fast, athletic, kinesthetically aware (catlike), all around strong, hard working, determined, and able to deal with the extreme mental games that pole vaulting plays with your head. Pole vaulting is a rush, and the thrill of making a new height keeps you hungry for more.”

“You have to be crazy to pole vault, there is no doubt about it,” Arnold said. “We have a special bond. Us pole-vaulters, we stick together. We understand that to be good at this sport, you have to make sacrifices, and be very dedicated.”

For Arnold and Pierson, the mentality and physicality of pole-vaulting transfers in to other endeavors in their lives. Or perhaps, it is the other way around. The self-proclaimed adrenaline junkies are always on the lookout for the next thrill.

“We try to scare ourselves with other activities, because it carries over,” Arnold said. “You can’t be afraid and be a pole-vaulter; you just have to trust in the work you have put in.”

Whether they are flying through the air, downhill mountain biking or long boarding, it is clear that Pierson and Arnold possess special talent. Their athletic prowess is incredible to watch, gravity-defying even, yet ironically, these teammates are undeniably focused and down to earth.

Former ISU pole-vaulter, and now assistant coach for combined events, Joe Silvers, understands the special pole-vaulter mentality, and spoke about the great example Arnold and Pierson set for the underclassmen on the team, and also about their potential.

“Mike and Sam are two of the most talented pole-vaulters that have come through ISU, but what makes them special is that they both work very hard,” Silvers said, “They are always challenging themselves, putting 100 percent into everything that they do. They push each other, and when one does something, the other is motivated to get there too. They have the potential to be 18-foot vaulters, and All-Americans.”

Both athletes have been considerably successful in their sport, and share some lofty goals, including jumping the 18 feet necessary to qualify for the NCAA indoor championships and the 2012 B standard for the Olympic trials. The pursuit of these goals is clearly strengthened by having an athlete of similar caliber to compete against on a daily basis. Arnold and Pierson are teammates, but rivals in every sense of the word, save that they want the best for each other. Their special bond certainly pushes them to greater heights than they might have achieved on their own.

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http://www.isubengals.com/news/2011/1/11/MTEN_0111111232.aspx?path=mtrack