Jeremy Brading article (IN)

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http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a ... 7/SPORTS02

Tough offseason training paying off for pole vaulter

By Jeff Riley
Star correspondent
Jeremy Brading expects to win the state championship in the pole vault this spring.


Brading, who finished second in the state meet last year, took an impressive first step toward that goal March 8 when he set a personal best with a vault of 16 feet in the Wally-Charger Indoor Track Meet at Wabash College.
That mark earned Brading the No. 2 seed in today's NSR State Indoor Classic at Indiana University, a meet that features the state's top 12 performances in indoor meets this season. The meet, which begins at 11 a.m., is widely considered the unofficial indoor state championship.
"I've really kind of struggled in previous seasons with getting psyched out early in the season," said Brading, whose previous best was the 15-9 mark he posted in finishing second at last year's state meet. "So I was just focusing on the little things, not worrying about my height, and I just went out and had fun with it."
Brading now has his sights set on 17 feet, a milestone he might very well need to clear today if he expects to beat Homestead junior Hunter Hall, who enters the meet with a qualifying height of 16-8.
"When I cleared 16 feet, I was over the bar by a foot, so I'm thinking 17 feet is not out of the realm of possibility," said Brading. "It might take 17 feet to win it, too, because Hunter Hall is jumping like a madman right now."
Brownsburg assistant coach Denny McNew, a volunteer who works only with the pole vaulters and high jumpers, believes Brading is capable of exceeding 17 feet.
"I really believe he can go 17-3, if not higher," said McNew, a former pole vaulter at Danville who also competed at the collegiate level. "He's not only a phenomenal athlete, but his attitude is so good. He's willing to try anything I ask him to do, and he just picks it up so quickly."
McNew has helped Brading refine his technique this year, and Brading has benefited from a more rigorous training regimen during the offseason.
"I worked harder than I've ever worked," said Brading, a co-captain with fellow senior Isaac Davis. "I lifted a lot, ran a lot and vaulted a lot. I just feel so much better and stronger this year. Everything is clicking."
Brading also is healthy. A nagging shin splint limited his practice time much of last season.
"Last year, he went 15-9 even though we only had three or four practice sessions, and in meets he was taking only enough jumps that were necessary to win," said McNew, 51 "This year, he's healthy, and he's off to a pretty good start. The table is set for him to reach all these goals because of the work he put in during the offseason. He's really worked hard."
Brading is fielding college scholarship offers and has narrowed his choices to the University of North Carolina, University of Kentucky and Kent State University. Brading, 18, credits McNew for his success.
"He's really knowledgeable and really dedicated," Brading said of McNew, who has worked with Brownsburg's pole vaulters the past six seasons. "He's not only a coach, he's a mentor, and there's no way I could be where I am today without a coach like him."
And Brading likes what the future might hold.
"Consistency is going to be the key," he said. "Lining up the jumps when I need to, making the jumps count when I need to, and not getting psyched out."