Daniel Imlach Article

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http://www.redding.com/redd/sports/arti ... 99,00.html

Imlach breaks 18-year-old Knights' pole vault mark

By Jeffrey Jen, Record Searchlight
February 26, 2005

After a year away from competition, Daniel Imlach is literally soaring to new heights.

A three-time Northern Section pole vault champion while at West Valley High School, Imlach broke the Shasta College school record in his first competition for the Knight during Friday's home track and field meet.

Imlach soared to 15 feet, eight inches on his third and final attempt, breaking the 15-7 mark which Eric Piearcy set in 1987. Imlach's previous best was 15 feet at West Valley.

"We had a bigger pole today and I'm a lot stronger than I was in high school," Imlach said after his record-setting vault.

Imlach's record was the highlight of the day as the Knights hosted a rotational meet involving Butte College, College of the Siskiyous, Lassen College and Yuba College.

The Butte women scored 100 points to edge Shasta with 94. Siskiyous was third with 50. After his career at West Valley, Imlach, 20, joined the Army. However, things didn't work out there because of a knee injury that Imlach suffered in his senior year. His high school coach Scott Fairley then convinced him to take up track again.

Already, the decision is paying off.

Imlach said he was hoping to go 16 feet on the day, but decided to settle for the school record for now.

"I hope to get up to 16-6 this year," Imlach said. "I think that would be enough for a state title. Hopefully, I can continue to go to a D-I school in a year or two. It'll be tough, they go 18 feet in D-I."

Imlach's performance stood out, though Knights track and field coach Pete Giachetti was just glad to get some competition in after Shasta's scheduled meet at Santa Rosa was rained out.