PoleVaultPower.com

http://gohuskies.collegesports.com/spor ... 05aaa.html

Brad Walker Wins U.S. Pole Vault Title
2004 UW alum won two NCAA indoor titles at Washington, and was the 2005 U.S. indoor champ.


June 23, 2005

CARSON, Calif. - Former Husky Brad Walker completed his sweep of 2005 USA pole vault titles Thursday, winning the event at the 2005 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Walker also won the vault at the USA Indoor Championships in February, and will represent the United States at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in August.

Ranked seventh in the world and fourth among American men entering the competition, Walker was the only vaulter to clear 18 feet, 10 ¼ inches, soaring over the bar on his first attempt. As the only vaulter remaining in the competition, Walker made three attempts at 19-6 -- two inches beyond his 2005 season best -- but missed on each.

Walker's win came at the expense of three Olympic medalists, including 2000 gold medalist Nick Hysong, who placed second, and 2004 silver medalist Toby Stevenson, who was third. Tim Mack, who won the gold medal in Athens a year ago, placed seventh.

The 2004 UW alum set the Pac-10 record and earned a pair of NCAA indoor titles during his four-year career at Washington, and was the sixth-place finisher at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials.

"The goal was just to make the World Championships team, so to come out and win the whole thing is just icing on the cake," said UW assistant coach Pat Licari, who continues to train Walker at UW's Dempsey Indoor. "The wind was a little swirly out here, but it wasn't too bad. Brad was just mentally tougher than those guys, and it paid off with a national title."

Walker's national title was the second this month for Licari, who coached UW senior Kate Soma to the NCAA Championship just two weeks ago. Including Walker's win Thursday, Husky athletes have won four U.S. titles and three NCAA championships since 2002. In addition, former Husky Christian Belz has won a pair of Swiss national crowns in distance-running events, and 2003 UW alum Sabrina Monro won an international cross country championship in March.

The top-three finishers in each senior-level event earn berths at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in August, while the top-three finishers in the junior-class events qualify for the July's World Youth Championships in Marrakech, Morocco.

Eight more Huskies will be in action this weekend at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, which continue through Sunday. For a complete event schedule and results, visit www.usatf.org.

Gotta love it when they make a headline about how much you sucked...



http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/20 ... ships.html

Mack fails in pole vault, Pate beats Phillips in long jump



By Bob Baum
ASSOCIATED PRESS
9:35 p.m. June 23, 2005
CARSON – Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack failed to make the U.S. team in the pole vault and Miguel Pate beat Athens champion Dwight Phillips in the long jump on a breezy, chilly opening night of the U.S. track and field championships.
Mack finished seventh, clearing only 17 feet, 8½ inches in chilly, windy conditions at Home Depot Center. The top three in each event make the U.S. team for the world championships in Helsinki on Aug. 6-14.

"I thought I could manage a couple more bars," Mack said. "It's kind of been happening all year. I just didn't have a good rhythm. There's always next time."

Brad Walker won the pole vault at 18-10¼. Nick Hysong, the Olympic gold medalist five years ago in Sydney, was second, with Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson third. Both cleared 18-6½ with Hysong second because of fewer misses.

Walker, a two-time NCAA champion at Washington and the reigning U.S. indoor champion, said the wind was a problem.

"It was pretty bad early on," Walker said. "It calmed down when we got to some of the bigger heights."

http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUI ... 3_22_26_52

Yet another upset came in a windy men's pole vault competition, where 2005 U.S. leader Brad Walker, the 2005 USA indoor champion, topped an outstanding field with a clearance of 5.75m/18-10.25. 2000 Olympic gold medalist Nick Hysong was second with 5.65m/18-6.5, and 2004 Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson was third at the same height. Reigning Olympic champion Tim Mack tied for seventh with a clearance of 5.40m/17-8.5.

http://au.sports.yahoo.com/050624/3/519z.html

Mack blown off course at U.S. trials for Helsinki
Friday June 24, 04:01 PM


CARSON, California, June 23 (Reuters) - Olympic pole vault champion Tim Mack could not adjust to the windy conditions as he failed in his bid make the U.S. world championship team at the American trials on Thursday.
Finishing down the field in a tie for seventh, Mack was well off a top-three finish that would have qualified him for the Helsinki championships in August.

"Everyone else adjusted and I didn't," Mack said after clearing a disappointing 5.40 metres.

He had vaulted an Olympic record 5.95 metres in Athens.

"It has kind of been happening all year," Mack said. "I just haven't had a good rhythm.

"I had a calf injury and couldn't sprint or vault (for two months during the winter), but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is I was short on training sessions."

U.S. indoor champion Brad Walker won the competition with a leap of 5.75 metres.

Sydney 2000 Olympic champion Nick Hysong finished second with 5.65 metres and 2004 Olympic silver medallist Toby Stevenson was third on the same height.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/articles/1624632.html

Mack, who took the gold medal in the pole vault won't even get to go to Finland. The man who beat the world in Athens with a vault of 19-61/4 found the cold, windy conditions difficult and cleared just 17-81/2.

Brad Walker, who didn't make the U.S. Olympic team in 2004, handled the conditions best of anyone and took the national championship by clearing 18-101/4. Nick Hysong was second at 18-61/2 and Toby Stevenson took third at the same height.

"I can remember when Nick pulled me along,'' said Stevenson, the Olympic silver medalist. "Now Brad is pulling me. He was just great today in the conditions.''

Walker didn't consider not making the Olympic team a year ago a failure.

"We sent an unbelievable team to the Olympics,'' he said. "Now we're sending a great team to the world championships. In tough conditions, I did well today.''

http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2005/06/2 ... 573013.php

Walker battles elements to vault 18-101/4
By SCOTT M. REID
The Orange County Register

CARSON – Pole vaulter Brad Walker never thought he would be talking about wind-chill factor at the 2005 U.S. track and field championships.

Not in June. Not in sunny Southern California.

"It was pretty bad early on," Walker said of finger-numbing strong winds that created havoc in the men's pole vault at The Home Depot Center on Thursday night. "It was rough."

Walker, a former two-time NCAA indoor champion at Washington, could just as easily have been talking about his career as the evening's weather.

Walker's 18-feet, 101/4-inch victory against a field that included the past two Olympic champions was as much a triumph over a long string of injuries as it was over the elements.

Nick Hysong, the 2000 Olympic champion, and Toby Stevenson, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist, cleared 18-61/2 to earn tickets to the 10th IAAF World Championships in Helsinki on Aug.6-14. Tim Mack, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist, couldn't overcome the conditions or injury-shortened training and finished seventh.

"I feel a lot stronger," Walker said. "I feel a little more resilient to injuries."

Walker won the 2003 NCAA indoor title with a 19-01/4 jump but missed the NCAA outdoor meet because of a broken wrist. He repeated as indoor champion last winter only to have his outdoor season derailed by a hamstring injury.

"It was a hard, crushing blow," Walker said. "It really gets in your head. Do I still have it? How do I get it back?"

Mack is asking the same thing. He cleared 17-81/2, two feet below his personal best. He has struggled with a calf injury.

http://www.auburnjournal.com/articles/2 ... 4track.txt

Litchfield ninth at U.S. Championships

By: Journal Sports Staff
Friday, June 24, 2005 1:03 AM PDT

Bear River High graduate Paul Litchfield tied for ninth in the pole vault Thursday night at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

Litchfield, who set a school record in the pole vault and earned All-America honors at Idaho State University, cleared 17 feet, 8.5 inches to tie with Oregon standout Tommy Skipper and Robert Mclean for ninth place.

Conditions were less than ideal at the Home Depot Center, but Brad Walker battled through the swirling winds to win the pole vault. Walker, who won the U.S. Indoor Championship earlier this year, cleared 18-10.25 to claim the U.S. Outdoor title, while 2000 Olympic gold medallist Nick Hysong took second and Toby Stevenson, a silver medallist at the Athens Olympics last summer, was third.

Auburn native Stacy Dragila will compete at the U.S. Outdoor Championships on Saturday. Dragila will be seeking her eighth U.S. Outdoor title in the women's pole vault.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/c ... ker24.html

Ex-Husky vaulter Walker wins title at U.S. Championships
By Seattle Times news services


Brad Walker earned a spot on the U.S. worlds team.


CARSON, Calif. â€â€

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/4617987.stm

Mack to miss Worlds in Helsinki

Tim Mack fared far better in Athens last year
Olympic pole vault champion Tim Mack has failed to make the US World Championships team after finishing seventh at the American trials.
Mack struggled with windy conditions and was well off the top-three finish that would have qualified him for the Helsinki event in August.

"Everyone else adjusted and I didn't," he said after clearing only 5.40m in Carson, California.

Mack had vaulted an Olympic record 5.95m in Athens to win the gold medal.

"It has kind of been happening all year," said Mack.

"I just haven't had a good rhythm. I had a calf injury and couldn't sprint or vault, but that doesn't matter right now. What matters is I was short on training sessions."

US indoor champion Brad Walker won the competition with a leap of 5.75m.

And Sydney Olympics champion Nick Hysong finished second with 5.65m, ahead of 2004 silver medallist Toby Stevenson.

http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?DUI ... 3_23_55_57

Open Men's Pole Vault, final: Brad Walker, Nike, 5.75m/18-10.25, winner.

Injuries he's dealt with:

I kind of had a little bit of an injury plague the last few years. This the first year that I've put a full season together out of college (I graduated last year). My training has changed quite a bit and I feel that I'm a lot stronger and in better shape right now. I feel like I'm a little more resilent to injuries and really stronger to avoid the injuries.

Wind:

It was pretty bad early on. It calmed down quite a bit once we got to some of the bigger heights. But early on if you caught it at the right time, you made the cross bar, if you didn't, you didn't, it was pretty on and off.

Toby Stevenson:

How is this year different than last year

This year's been different because I've had the pressure of being a silver medallist. They expect you to win or get second at every meet. I wanted to come back and legitimize my medal. Today was tough. I kind of got in my own head a little bit. I fully take the blame for a pathetic showing of vaulting that I did. I'm just disappointed in myself, since I got third. I'm an athlete, and I love competing. To be able to represent the US this summer, like I did last year, it's incredible and that makes up for it.

Nick Hysong:

Differences this year and last year:

I don't think I need to make amends for last year. Last year, we sent an unbelievable team to the Olympics, and I was actually proud of the team we sent to the Olympics. I'd love myself to be on that team but circumstances and it wasn't in God's plan. This year I've very lucky to have friends like Brad and Toby push me along, get me fired up, because I had a little bit of shake in my confidence, had to bring that around. I think that showed tonight in the tough conditions that I managed to jump decently well. I didn't jump necessarily high but I jumped on good size poles and I have a decent chance to jump 580s and 590s. I'd really like to thank Toby for his support in the last few weeks, he's been very generous and supportive.

Toby:

Nick pulled me along with him when I was coming up, and hopefully I'm pulling Brad, since he's pushing the hell out of me. Brad was incredible today. Not only is it a thrill to make the team, but to make the team with these two guys. We're going to go over there and take one-two-three.

Open Men's Pole Vault, final: Brad Walker, Nike, 5.75m/18-10.25, winner.

Injuries he's dealt with:

"I kind of had a little bit of an injury plague the last few years. This the first year that I've put a full season together out of college (I graduated last year). My training has changed quite a bit and I feel that I'm a lot stronger and in better shape right now. I feel like I'm a little more resilient to injuries and really stronger to avoid the injuries."

On the wind today:

"It was pretty bad early on. It calmed down quite a bit once we got to some of the bigger heights. But early on if you caught it at the right time, you made the cross bar, if you didn't, you didn't, it was pretty on and off."

Open Men's Pole Vault, final: Toby Stevenson, Nike, 5.65m/18-06.50, third place.

How this year is different than last year:

"This year's been different because I've had the pressure of being a silver medallist. They expect you to win or get second at every meet. I wanted to come back and legitimize my medal. Today was tough. I kind of got in my own head a little bit. I fully take the blame for a pathetic showing of vaulting that I did. I'm just disappointed in myself, since I got third. I'm an athlete, and I love competing. To be able to represent the US this summer, like I did last year, it's incredible and that makes up for it."

Open Men's Pole Vault, final: Nick Hysong, Nike, 5.65m/18-06.50, second place.

Differences between this year and last year:

"I don't think I need to make amends for last year. Last year, we sent an unbelievable team to the Olympics, and I was actually proud of the team we sent to the Olympics. I'd love myself to be on that team but circumstances and it wasn't in God's plan. This year I've very lucky to have friends like Brad and Toby push me along, get me fired up, because I had a little bit of shake in my confidence, had to bring that around. I think that showed tonight in the tough conditions that I managed to jump decently well. I didn't jump necessarily high but I jumped on good size poles and I have a decent chance to jump 5.80s and 5.90s. I'd really like to thank Toby for his support in the last few weeks, he's been very generous and supportive."

Toby Stevenson again:

"Nick pulled me along with him when I was coming up, and hopefully I'm pulling Brad, since he's pushing the hell out of me. Brad was incredible today. Not only is it a thrill to make the team, but to make the team with these two guys. We're going to go over there and take one-two-three."

http://calbears.collegesports.com/sport ... 05aaa.html

2003 Cal graduate Bubba Mclean finished ninth in the pole vault clearing 17-8.5 on his third attempt, but could not clear 18-2.5 which would have given him at least fifth. Mclean cleared 18-8.75 only last week in Arkansas.

http://www.oaoa.com/sports/sp062505c.htm

Stevenson qualifies for Worlds

CARSON, Calif. Permian High School graduate Toby Stevenson was third Thurs-day night in the men’s pole vault at the U.S. Track and Field Championships.
The top-three finishers in each event qualify for the U.S. team that will compete at the World Championships from Aug. 6-14 in Helsinki, Finland.
Stevenson, the silver medalist at the Olympics last summer in Athens, cleared 18 feet, 6½ inches for his third-place finish. Brad Walker won the event at 18-10¼, and Nick Hysong had the same height as Stevenson but was second because of fewer misses.
“I kind of got in my own head a little bit,â€Â