Drake Relays Elite Startlists

[rainbowgirl28]

Code: Select all

 Event 104  Women Pole Vault Special
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Saturday 4/29/2006 - 11:30 AM
           Name                        Year School                               
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  1   6286 Erica Bartolina                  Unattached                 
  2    816 Breana Eveland                Sr Kansas State               
  3   1146 Jenny Green                   So Nebraska                   
  4    469 Kierney Jackson               Sr Georgia                     
  5   6289 Sue Kane                         Unattached                 
  6   6285 Amy Linnen                       Unattached                 
  7   6284 Tracy O'Hara                     adidas                     
  8   6283 Jillian Schwartz                 Nike                       
  9   6287 Kate Soma                        AIA                         
 10   6281 Kellie Suttle                    Nike                       
 11   6282 Lindsey Taylor                   Pocatello TC               


Event 108  Men Pole Vault Special
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Saturday 4/29/2006 - 2:00 PM
           Name                        Year School                               
===============================================================================
  1   1113 Gable Baldwin                 Jr Nebraska                   
  2   6218 Jeff Hartwig                     Nike                       
  3   6214 Tye Harvey                       New Balance                 
  4   6212 Nick Hysong                      Nike                       
  5   6213 Giovanni Lanaro                  Mexico                     
  6   6215 Derek Miles                      Nike                       
  7   6217 Justin Norberg                   Neovault                   
  8   6220 Jacob Pauli                      Unattached                 
  9   1256 Andre Poljanec                So Northern Iowa               
 10   2725 Sam Pribyl                    Sr South Dakota               
 11    130 John Russell                  Sr Akron                       
 12    457 Adam Sarafian                 So Georgia                     
 13   6219 Ray Scotten                      Unattached                 
 14   1132 Ray Scotten                   Sr Nebraska                   
 15   6216 Toby Stevenson                   Nike                       

[saraf]

[pelle3]

Drake Relays: Pauli ready to soar after battle with rare illness

By JIM SULLIVAN, Courier Sports Writer
Source

CEDAR FALLS -- Dawn brought darkness to Jake Pauli's track and field career for 14 months.

Now he can see the pole vault in a new light.

Healthy after battling a rare medical condition called osteitis pubis, the former Northern Iowa star will defend his Drake Relays title. The 26-year-old Pauli battles a strong field in the men's special pole vault Saturday afternoon.

"I want to win this one," said Pauli, who claimed an NCAA indoor title and a Drake university-college crown during his days with the Panthers. "This is one of the few meets in the year where you want to win at all costs, even if you're tearing up your body."

Playing with pain is a sensation all too vivid for Pauli.

Even while winning the special Drake pole vault in 2005 with a jump of 18 feet, 8 3/4 inches, Pauli dealt with osteitis pubis. It's an inflammation of a small joint in the pelvic area. Soccer players get it. So do pole vaulters.

And Pauli was one of them. Last July, the pain forced him to cut short a successful tour that took him to Brazil, Europe and Israel.

"It can be a career killer for a lot of vaulters," said Pauli.

A simple sneeze forced Pauli to double over in pain. Getting out of bed became two things - a marathon and a cold hard look at the finish line of his career.

"It hurt a lot in the morning," he added. "I'd wake up and say to myself, 'well, this is probably going to end it for me.' I wasn't happy about the timing. I had just started to really learn how to vault. I was finally jumping high consistently. Then this happens.

"I thought, 'man, I don't know how to get rid of this.'"

At one point, Pauli considered surgery. Instead, he focused on exercise and therapy.

Eventually, the pain receded. He began vaulting again in January. For Pauli, the comeback officially began last weekend, when he won a pole vault title at the Kansas Relays for the second consecutive time.

"I'm back on track," said Pauli. "I'm feeling pretty good."

If nothing else, dealing with a career-threatening injury put other obstacles in perspective for Pauli. Jumping in Des Moines during April can be an adventure, with high winds, cold temperature and rain just a forecast away.

"I've been through too much to worry about that stuff," said Pauli. "I used to be a guy where if it was sprinkling or we had a high wind, I couldn't do it. I couldn't jump for a year, so I appreciate it so much more. I've stopped caring about wind and rain and cold -- stuff like that."

Pauli, though, cares a great deal about become an elite pole vaulter.

"I'm 26 now," he said. "I'm kind of tired of being the guy with a lot of potential who jumped 19 feet. I feel I'm ready to be the guy who's over 19 feet every time - 19-4, 19-6. I think my body is ready for it, too."

Pauli isn't the only UNI alumnus who's aiming at good health and a good showing at Drake.

Panther assistant coach Travis Geopfert has declared himself fit for another run at the Relays decathlon title. Geopfert won it in 2004, dethroning perennial champion and mentor Kip Janvrin. Then a calf injury forced Geopfert to withdraw early in the event last April.

This year, the former Missouri Valley Conference decathlon champion dealt with an Achilles tendon problem.

"I'm ready to rock and roll now," said Geopfert. "I've been training smart, and I'm feeling pretty good.

"I'm just excited. It's just fun to go out and train and compete again. I've done a couple of things here and there, but I haven't done anything serious since Germany last August. So it's time to get my season rolling."

Contact Jim Sullivan at (319) 291-1434 or jim.sullivan at wcfcourier.com