Berry Sets New High School Pole Vault Record (PA) 16-3.25
Posted: Wed May 02, 2007 12:38 pm
http://www.thebulletin.us/site/news.cfm ... 6361&rfi=6
Berry Sets New High School Pole Vault Record
By: Seth Goldstein, The Bulletin
04/30/2007
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Philadelphia - He injured his quad on his very first pole vault. Never did he think he would be at this level now.
Hatboro-Horsham senior Joe Berry, who four years ago, "dragged his leg" back up the runway, was now buried in the arms of his coach, Peter Hischmann, on Saturday, in celebration of setting a new Penn Relays and stadium high school record with a height of 16-feet-1¼. Only he wasn't done yet.
Never mind the fact that he had already won the gold as the No. 5 seed by beating Daniel Boone's Justin Germani at a height of 15-8. And forget about him already surpassing his personal best (15-6), which he set at the Great Valley dual meet last week, two jumps ago. Berry wanted more.
"I told them to raise it to the record," said Berry, who broke the old mark of 16-0½ , which was set by Braxton Davenport in 1991. "I was just sucked up in the moment. My body, everything, was tingling."
The bar was raised another two inches, now standing at 16-3¼. He went up, the bar came down. He went up again, the bar came down again. He took a little more time before his third attempt, taking in the moment, hoping to get enough adrenaline pumping to put him over the top.
On his third attempt, Berry cleared it - the bar wobbled but stayed up - setting yet again, a new Penn Relays record, stadium high school record and personal record. He tried for 16-4¾, but couldn't make it happen. Still, not bad for someone who at the start of the season, told his coaches he was going to set the Penn Relays record this year.
"He had his sights set on this from the get-go," Hischmann said. "He's always had the potential to go higher. He just hasn't been able to do it."
And he almost didn't do it, either. He almost didn't even have the opportunity as he was stuck trying to clear 15-5.
Germani had already cleared the height on his second vault as Berry was on his third try. If he didn't make it, he would settle for third or fourth place as a result of having more missed attempts. He had switched to a heavier pole the jump before and was battling a large cut on his hand that he got from hitting his hand on the spikes of his shoes on an earlier try.
It didn't matter. He was up and over. And when the bar was raised to 15-8, he was up and over on his first attempt, clinching the title.
"After 15-5, that's when it started clicking," said Berry, who finished in 12th place last year, clearing a height of only 13-9. "My adrenaline was going crazy and I kept feeding off the crowd."
And as if the day couldn't get any better, who presented him with his award: none other than 1976 Olympic decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner.
All that's left now is to decide where to go to college. Berry has been in talks with only two schools - Rutgers and Clemson - and only the Scarlet Knights have offered him any kind of scholarship. Maybe now, that will all change.
"I can't afford to go out of state unless I get a scholarship," Berry said. "Maybe I can track down Pitt now."
Berry Sets New High School Pole Vault Record
By: Seth Goldstein, The Bulletin
04/30/2007
Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly
Philadelphia - He injured his quad on his very first pole vault. Never did he think he would be at this level now.
Hatboro-Horsham senior Joe Berry, who four years ago, "dragged his leg" back up the runway, was now buried in the arms of his coach, Peter Hischmann, on Saturday, in celebration of setting a new Penn Relays and stadium high school record with a height of 16-feet-1¼. Only he wasn't done yet.
Never mind the fact that he had already won the gold as the No. 5 seed by beating Daniel Boone's Justin Germani at a height of 15-8. And forget about him already surpassing his personal best (15-6), which he set at the Great Valley dual meet last week, two jumps ago. Berry wanted more.
"I told them to raise it to the record," said Berry, who broke the old mark of 16-0½ , which was set by Braxton Davenport in 1991. "I was just sucked up in the moment. My body, everything, was tingling."
The bar was raised another two inches, now standing at 16-3¼. He went up, the bar came down. He went up again, the bar came down again. He took a little more time before his third attempt, taking in the moment, hoping to get enough adrenaline pumping to put him over the top.
On his third attempt, Berry cleared it - the bar wobbled but stayed up - setting yet again, a new Penn Relays record, stadium high school record and personal record. He tried for 16-4¾, but couldn't make it happen. Still, not bad for someone who at the start of the season, told his coaches he was going to set the Penn Relays record this year.
"He had his sights set on this from the get-go," Hischmann said. "He's always had the potential to go higher. He just hasn't been able to do it."
And he almost didn't do it, either. He almost didn't even have the opportunity as he was stuck trying to clear 15-5.
Germani had already cleared the height on his second vault as Berry was on his third try. If he didn't make it, he would settle for third or fourth place as a result of having more missed attempts. He had switched to a heavier pole the jump before and was battling a large cut on his hand that he got from hitting his hand on the spikes of his shoes on an earlier try.
It didn't matter. He was up and over. And when the bar was raised to 15-8, he was up and over on his first attempt, clinching the title.
"After 15-5, that's when it started clicking," said Berry, who finished in 12th place last year, clearing a height of only 13-9. "My adrenaline was going crazy and I kept feeding off the crowd."
And as if the day couldn't get any better, who presented him with his award: none other than 1976 Olympic decathlon gold medalist Bruce Jenner.
All that's left now is to decide where to go to college. Berry has been in talks with only two schools - Rutgers and Clemson - and only the Scarlet Knights have offered him any kind of scholarship. Maybe now, that will all change.
"I can't afford to go out of state unless I get a scholarship," Berry said. "Maybe I can track down Pitt now."