One-track mind - Jenn Stuczynski article

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20 ... 034805.asp

One-track mind

Fredonia pole-vaulter Jen Stuczynski targets U.S. record just two years after taking up the sport

By ETHAN RAMSEY
News Sports Reporter
7/18/2006



Jen Stuczynski's astonishing learning curve has allowed her to threaten Stacy Dragila's American record of 15 feet, 10 inches.
Click to view larger picture

John Hickey/Buffalo News
Jen Stuczynski works on technique with her coach, Rich Suhr.

CHURCHVILLE - Jen Stuczynski asked all the time in the beginning.
Her coach refused to offer a definitive answer.

Am I good enough? Am I wasting my time?

It's too early to tell.

Finally, one day, he knew.

With two of Rick Suhr's pole-vaulting proteges - Mary Saxer and Tiffany Maskulinski - watching, his newest project nearly cleared 12 feet on half the normal approach, just three months after taking up the sport.

Suhr froze.

You know, she's really close to making that.

The remark convinced Stuczynski the everyday monotony of driving two hours each way from her Fredonia home to Suhr's pole vault-specific training facility outside Rochester was worth the trip. She sensed something special in the way he spoke.

"That's when I finally felt good about myself," she said.

These days - less than two years after that epiphany in the summer of 2004 - Stuczynski, 24, is really close to making another mark. Only this time, incredibly, it's the U.S. women's record: 15 feet, 10 inches. Now the top-ranked American and in the world's top 10, Suhr says Stuczynski continues to progress faster than anyone in history.

The 2004 Roberts Wesleyan graduate first shocked the track and field community by winning the U.S. IndoorNationals in February 2005 as an unseeded unknown. Already established, she swept all three Triple Crown events this year - the Adidas Track Classic, the Reebok Grand Prix and the U.S. Outdoor Nationals. Her victory at Nationals - with a slightly strained quadriceps muscle, no less - earned her America's only spot for Athens' World Cup in September.

She won the first of her half-dozen preparatory meets on the European circuit this past weekend at the 17th International Meeting in Lignana, Italy.

Suhr said the world's best usually take six or seven years to reach the top level. Stuczynski did it in two.

"She's right now, kind of where Tiger Woods was when he just turned pro," Suhr said. "It was scary because no one knew how dominant he may become."

Suhr drew Stuczynski into the sport, spotting her athletic 6-foot, 140-pound frame one day on Roberts Wesleyan track. He asked her if she wanted to train specifically in the vault, and after initially refusing, she warmed up to her own potential.

Actually, I think I can do this.

You think? She claimed the U.S. indoor title less than a year later.

Last August, she opted not to finish her master's degree in child psychology in order to devote full time to the pole vault. She rented the second floor of Suhr's country home to be closer to her training base.

Stuczynski, who has cleared 15-6 in practice and 15-4 in competition, sealed that decision in February when the former basketball standout (once Roberts' all-time point leader) and volleyball player, golfer and pentathlete signed a contract with Adidas to pole vault for the next five years. Suhr said that by competing in meets in the U.S. and Europe, she could earn into six figures yearly.

Given her astonishing learning curve, Suhr believes it's only a matter of time before she breaks Stacy Dragila's American record, and maybe even Russian Yelena Isinbayeva's world record of 16-5. Suhr thinks she only needs another year or so.

The coach gives two reasons for Stuczynski's stunning success: First, his system, which has produced numerous top level vaulters from Western New York (Saxer and Maskulinski were two of the first high schoolers to break 14 feet). Second, she's the first to train under that system full-time.

While Stuczynski's tall, cut frame helps, Suhr says the system works for other body types. Maskulinski, for instance, stands a stocky 5-2.

"Here, we run on bad runways, we jump in horrible conditions - 35-degree weather," Suhr said. "A pole vault is not designed to do that. Because of that, we've had to make a few changes that we found resulted in better technique overall. And now we're seeing that system done on a full-time basis."

Suhr controls everything - when and how much she jumps, trains with weights, sleeps and, sometimes to her dismay, eats. Many nights she wanted to grab something sweet out of the freezer but held back.

No, can't do that cause he's right there.

Her diet remains just one part of a restricted lifestyle.

Day after day, it's usually only the two of them out back, performing drill after drill and jump after jump. Like any athlete, there are times she despises her coach. She can escape to her pet rabbit and "Walker, Texas Ranger" reruns, but there he is next to her at dinner hours later.

And on the mats the next morning.

"There's days where you just don't want to do it," Stuczynski said. "Like when it's cold out and the propane blowers are blowing and you have to get your body temperature up."

But while she maintains some level of normalcy with trips to the mall and hair salon - and by painting her nails ("I like pink, I'm still a girl"). Even her rare weekend trips to the local bars consist of pole vault-speak with friends in the know.

Her ultimate goal isn't to win the World Cup this September. Or the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. It's simply perfecting Suhr's system and setting the American, and eventually, the world record.

"Jen's grip and pole strength are closer to the Russian [Isinbayeva] than anyone else in the world," said Suhr, who digests film like a football coach. "That's how we know, someday down the road, it's going to get close."

He's known the possibility of a duel with the Russian existed ever since that one day when he could finally give his prodigy a straight answer.

Yes, you are good enough. No, you're not wasting your time.

"My mind-set is I'm going to break the record," Stuczynski said. "I just don't know when."

[bel142]

This article is a great example of how one of those phenomenal athletes are taking advantage of the fact that they have such a huge talent and are using their talents to promote and push the elite level of the sport. So many of the Elite athletes in the world who are not only good at what they do, but great it seams, have just brilliant body kinesthetic intelligences.

For example although Bubka was/is the best vaulter in history, if he wanted to be, just by looking at his numbers, he could have easily been the worlds greatest decathlete.

So many athletes have this same burden of brilliant skill as Jen Stuczynski clearly does. Tommy Skipper for example another superb all-around athlete that has so many talents that, if he decided to could be one of the worlds greatest athletes. And although he may be on his way to being such an athlete, if he was not recognized as such a vaulter maybe the sport would not be progressing the way it is.

And although it is a harsh word, sometimes this skill is in fact, a burden, it’s a shame to waste it and have people talk about your potential that you once held. Potential, is one of those words that can be great, and like wise it can be bad. "She has such great potential" is a great thing to hear. But then again "She had such potentialâ€Â

[TreyDECA]

For example although Bubka was/is the best vaulter in history, if he wanted to be, just by looking at his numbers, he could have easily been the worlds greatest decathlete.

i agree with what you're saying absolutely, but let's not get carried away...

what numbers of his are we looking at? where can i find those?

[wurster490]

From what I know it was 10.20-30 range for 100m, I could be wrong, and 7.95m long jump. I'm sure he was talented at most other things as well, but I doubt he put much focus into anything but training for pole vault.

[Howler]

This was on Rick Shur's website.

For those who have read the article in yesterdays Buffalo News titled "Stuczynski vaults to win", we would like to post a correction to a misquote:

"I was flat out misquoted. I have been miquoted more than quoted correctly, as anyone knows who deals with media. I told the paper that "Jenn is one of the best jumpers in America, she has improved a lot." As for my opinion, Jenn has a long way to go and there are 4 or 5 other great Americans who can beat us any day. We are just one member of a competitive group of American women vaulters. As for the best, easilly, it is Stacey Dragilia until someone breaks her record. This is not the first time i have been misquoted, and I'm sure it wont be the last.

Rick Suhr"