Where did all of our shoe sponsors go?

[rainbowgirl28]

In the start lists for USAs this weekend, only Brad Walker, Jeremy Scott, and Chelsea Johnson are listed as competing for Nike. The only other vaulters sponsored by anyone shoe company are: Jenn Suhr (adidas), April Steiner Bennet (Asics, used to be adidas), and Rory Quiller (Asics, and he must have had a multi-year deal and a great agent to work that out).

I know that the economy is tough and sponsors are cutting back, and I know that the level of US pole vaulting is down a bit, but it still seems like some of the promising up-and-comers aren't being thrown a bone anymore.

Vaulters still competing who have had sponsors in the past and are all unattached now (I am not necessarily saying these vaulters all still deserve to be sponsored):
- Lacy Janson (Nike) ?!
- Derek Miles (Nike) ?!
- Becky Holliday (New Balance)
- Tim Mack (Nike)
- Jacob Pauli (Nike)
- Nick Hysong (Nike)
- Daniel Ryland (adidas)




Recently retired vaulters who were sponsored:
- Toby Stevenson (Nike, but got dropped before his retirement)
- Tommy Skipper (Nike)
- Stacy Dragila (Nike)
- Tye Harvey (New Balance)
- Jeff Hartwig (Nike)
- Russ Buller (Asics)
- Mary Sauer (Asics)
- Tracy O'Hara (adidas, but got dropped before her retirement)


Notable vaulters that have never been sponsored and have been post-collegiate for awhile:
- Darren Niedermeyer
- Mark Hollis
- Erica Bartolina
- Melinda Owen
- Mary Saxer




I don't really get all the praise about Project 30. As far as I am concerned, Nike is spending less money than ever on athlete sponsorship, and yet USATF is positioning themselves in a way that makes it even LESS appealing for other companies to sponsor individual athletes.

Nike is a private company. I don't feel like they have an obligation to give us money. I just don't like USATF acting like Nike is saving the sport.

[rainbowgirl28]

Where USA vaulters currently stand on the world outdoor performance list on Tilastopaja:

3 - Derek Miles 5.80
6 - Jason Colwick, Jordan Scott 5.71
9 - Jeremy Scott 5.70
21 - Mark Hollis 5.62
22 - Darren Nidermeyer 5.60

7 - Lacy Janson 4.60
14 - Kylie Hutson 4.51
15 - Jenn Suhr, Becky Holliday 4.50
20 - Melinda Owen 4.45
21 - Katie Stripling 4.41
23 - April Steiner Bennett, Chelsea Johnson 4.40

[rainbowgirl28]

Current indoor list (since many of our vaulters end up jumping indoors during the outdoor season)

4 - Jeremy Scott 5.82
7 - Derek Miles 5.75
10 - Scott Roth 5.72
15 - Tim Mack 5.70

7 - Lacy Janson 4.66
9 - Chelsea Johnson 4.62
18 - Becky Holliday 4.55
20 - Kylie Hutson 4.50

[VaultNinja]

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Nike practically runs USATF and is chipping away at its dominance over the NCAA.

And the IAAF is a bunch of corrupt ******* who limit the size of our logos so they can cash in on it and roll around in fancy cars while we hitch hike to the track. Not to mention the fact that they shortened our pegs and made the cross bar ends round. Tell me i'm wrong.

[VTechVaulter]

Yeah its pretty disappointing that nike dropped lacy after the indoor season she just had.

Jeff Coover has a sweet deal worked with Brooks!
And I hear that Asics is picking up another female vaulter here soon

also I am 99 percent sure that Derek is still with Nike. Not sure whys hes not listed that way. Maybe Klocke can elaborate

[rainbowgirl28]

That's interesting that Brooks is picking up Jeff Coover... they sponsor my club team, and we have a deal where they will individually sponsor a number of our athletes. This year they made it really clear to me that they only wanted athletes that could wear Brooks from head to toe at all times. Field event athletes are out since they don't make field event spikes. They also got tired of our field athletes complaining that their clothes (designed for skinny distance runners) didn't fit them right.

In the past, vaulters Kate Conwell and Jennie Sewell benefitted from this, and other field event athletes like Will Conwell, Chris Randolph, etc.

I don't blame Brooks for making that decision, they are a heavily distance-based organization, and we are a heavily distance-based team. Maybe Coover is willing to vault in their mid-distance spikes?

[CowtownPV]

Look at it from a business standpoint. If you are a shoe maker what do you get in return for your sponsorship? How much TV time will your shoes get, how many photos in magazines, where will you get your free advertising that sponsors are looking for? Track doesn't get much coverage in non-olympic years and it has been this way for a long time.

[KLocke]

Yes, lesson is don't believe everything you read. It's just print

Yeah its pretty disappointing that nike dropped lacy after the indoor season she just had.

Jeff Coover has a sweet deal worked with Brooks!
And I hear that Asics is picking up another female vaulter here soon

also I am 99 percent sure that Derek is still with Nike. Not sure whys hes not listed that way. Maybe Klocke can elaborate