Indiana Girls Making Progress
Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 10:44 am
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/ ... 08ed34.txt
Height adjustment
BY JIM HUNSLEY
Times Sports Writer
She might be afraid of the rope drill in gymnastics, but Portage pole vaulter Briana Klimek has no problem soaring through the air in the spring.
"It's very exciting," Klimek said. "I just want to keep going higher and higher. It's a great experience."
Pole vault is in its second year of trial work in girls track, and it will be scored at every meet next season. Strangely enough, the Region pole vault scene is a somewhat diverse one, with its shares of ups and downs.
The event is somewhat costly and safety concerns remain high, as the well-publicized death of Penn State pole vaulter Kevin Dare at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in 2002 is still fresh in some people's minds. That's why it is a mixed bag of reactions, both good and bad.
Leaders of the pack?
Klimek, a senior, and sophomore teammate Kristen Mendez finished in the top six at last year's state meet. With results like that, Portage has put itself on the map for girls pole vault.
"That kind of proves what type of program we have," Klimek said.
And these girls don't need great conditions to get the job done. Ten days ago against Crown Point, Klimek cleared a personal-best 10 feet -- a foot better than last year's sixth-place effort at state -- in poor weather.
"It was a joke, (but) I just said that I was going to do my PR in such beautiful weather," Klimek said. "It was a cold and rainy meet, but it was just a mental thing. It wasn't any different than any other approach. I landed on the mat, and all I did was smile.
"It was awesome. I'm so excited that I can go further now."
Mendez has also furthered herself in other areas. Mendez, who placed fourth last year at state, is now giving guidance to the younger crop of boys vaulters.
"I feel more like a veteran when a couple of the guys ask me for help," Mendez said. "I think it's pretty fun. It's kind of weird -- you'd figure the guys would help the girls. I'm just happy to help."
And boys track coach John Kappes is pleased with the girls' development.
"These girls and this team are making sacrifices," said Kappes, who vaulted at Delta High School and Ball State University. "There is no other sport in Indiana that is purely an exhibition.
"These are very unique athletes who are willing to accept the hard work without receiving the recognition. It speaks volumes for the girls."
However, Mendez is a little upset the event isn't being scored this season.
"I thought it would happen this year," said Mendez, who must once again wait until the regional for an actual competition. "That angered me a little bit."
Either way, Mendez has a chance to be ahead of several other athletes in the sport when it becomes scored next season.
"I'll have a lot of time to go higher and higher," said Mendez, who cleared a season-best 10 feet at the Crown Point meet. "We watched (Homestead freshman Katie Veith) attempt 12-9 at the Penn Relays, and that was really exciting. I think it's awesome to see girls go that high. (It) makes me think I could maybe do that."
Funding the fun
The cost of pole vaulting can get a little pricey, since sticks can run as much as $400. But that's not a problem at Crown Point High School.
"We've spent quite a bit on poles," Crown Point boys track coach Dennis Bunda said. "I'm just happy that the athletic department allows us to get the devices we need."
Co-athletic director Bill Dorulla just wants to ensure that safety is at a premium.
"Any time you're working with pole vault, you want to get them the best equipment to keep things safe," Dorulla said. "We've tried to get the coaches what they need in any sport. Right now, we've got some very good vaulters and we want to help them to get to the next level.
"If a coach is really passionate about his sport, you always want to do what you can for them."
Bunda and all the CP pole vaulters are extremely passionate about their sport.
"I've become addicted to the event," Bunda said. "I've read everything I could get my hands on to teach the kids. These kids love it. If we could practice at midnight, they'd be out there."
"If they'd turn on the lights, I'd go out," said Crown Point senior Jason Aubuchon, who recently signed with Indiana State. "I wish I had (a pole vault pit) in the backyard."
Junior Biven Fuqua, who finished fifth at regionals last season, enjoys Bunda's zest for the sport.
"He has a major impact," Fuqua said. "If he didn't have that enthusiasm for it, we probably wouldn't be doing this."
Right now, Fuqua is clearing 14-1 -- the school's record -- in practice, and he hopes to break that mark in a meet soon. He credits his achievement to his state-of-the-art equipment.
"We just have more of an opportunity to better and further ourselves," Fuqua said. "I can switch poles, depending on the conditions. That makes me feel safer and it gives me the confidence to do my best."
The price is too high?
At last year's Porter County Conference boys track meet, Wheeler was the host, but the pole vault was held at Morgan Twp. That's because Wheeler had decided earlier that season to not have any involvement in pole vault, with either the boys or girls
"Last spring, we made the decision among ourselves," Wheeler boys coach Steve Snodgrass said. "We didn't have a single track coach that had any knowledge of it. That's a lot of responsibility, and that was a risk we were not willing to meet."
Snodgrass noticed that same thought pattern at a dual meet this season at Knox.
"There was just one boy who did the pole vault," he said. "The boy was a senior, and he had been doing the sport for a while, but their staff said that they wouldn't be doing it next season."
According to IHSAA assistant commissioner Bobby Cox, Wheeler's situation isn't a unique one.
"It's a very specialized sport, and the costs can run around $8,(000)-to-$10,000," Cox said. "It might be hard to justify the sport if you only have five or six kids participating.
"There are (also) safety issues which must be weighed with budgetary considerations. We're not advocating dropping the event, but we also understand if schools might not want to contest in it."
Time will tell
Valparaiso might not be competing in girls pole vault this season, but it's in the back of coach Jim McCall's mind.
"It's not being scored right now," McCall said, "so it's harder to spend our time and effort to coach it."
At this point, assistant coach Mick Cavanaugh is working with a group of eager neophytes, and they're learning the event at a slow pace.
"We wholeheartedly support that we've had two exhibition years," McCall said. "I just pity those who rushed into it. Bad habits and poor techniques could result, and those will be the girls who will be getting injured when the height starts going up."
"We're looking at the future, not next week."
McCall also said that he didn't want to pull someone he's using in a scored event to compete in the unscored pole vault. Boone Grove coach Candy Wilson faces that dilemma with Jen Regan and Sarah Ansburg, who are currently practicing for this year's regional pole vault competition.
But they're doing so at a slow pace -- maybe two or three hours a week -- because they're already needed in four other events.
Former Wolves vaulter Mike Regan, Jen's older brother, spends what free time he has working with the girls.
"They are progressing," said Mike, a state qualifier last season. "We are just more concerned about safety and getting them used to the event."
"It's pretty hard, seeing that you always don't really know what you're doing," Jen Regan said. "We don't have a chance to spend a lot of practice time on pole vault.
Ansburg, who shares the team's lone pole with her teammate, hopes in time that she'll improve.
"I'm having a problem getting in the air and placing the pole," said Ansburg, a state medalist in gymnastics this past winter. "I watched Mike last year, and it looked like a lot of fun.
"It's a little nerve-wracking now, but in time I think we're going to be all right."
Height adjustment
BY JIM HUNSLEY
Times Sports Writer
She might be afraid of the rope drill in gymnastics, but Portage pole vaulter Briana Klimek has no problem soaring through the air in the spring.
"It's very exciting," Klimek said. "I just want to keep going higher and higher. It's a great experience."
Pole vault is in its second year of trial work in girls track, and it will be scored at every meet next season. Strangely enough, the Region pole vault scene is a somewhat diverse one, with its shares of ups and downs.
The event is somewhat costly and safety concerns remain high, as the well-publicized death of Penn State pole vaulter Kevin Dare at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in 2002 is still fresh in some people's minds. That's why it is a mixed bag of reactions, both good and bad.
Leaders of the pack?
Klimek, a senior, and sophomore teammate Kristen Mendez finished in the top six at last year's state meet. With results like that, Portage has put itself on the map for girls pole vault.
"That kind of proves what type of program we have," Klimek said.
And these girls don't need great conditions to get the job done. Ten days ago against Crown Point, Klimek cleared a personal-best 10 feet -- a foot better than last year's sixth-place effort at state -- in poor weather.
"It was a joke, (but) I just said that I was going to do my PR in such beautiful weather," Klimek said. "It was a cold and rainy meet, but it was just a mental thing. It wasn't any different than any other approach. I landed on the mat, and all I did was smile.
"It was awesome. I'm so excited that I can go further now."
Mendez has also furthered herself in other areas. Mendez, who placed fourth last year at state, is now giving guidance to the younger crop of boys vaulters.
"I feel more like a veteran when a couple of the guys ask me for help," Mendez said. "I think it's pretty fun. It's kind of weird -- you'd figure the guys would help the girls. I'm just happy to help."
And boys track coach John Kappes is pleased with the girls' development.
"These girls and this team are making sacrifices," said Kappes, who vaulted at Delta High School and Ball State University. "There is no other sport in Indiana that is purely an exhibition.
"These are very unique athletes who are willing to accept the hard work without receiving the recognition. It speaks volumes for the girls."
However, Mendez is a little upset the event isn't being scored this season.
"I thought it would happen this year," said Mendez, who must once again wait until the regional for an actual competition. "That angered me a little bit."
Either way, Mendez has a chance to be ahead of several other athletes in the sport when it becomes scored next season.
"I'll have a lot of time to go higher and higher," said Mendez, who cleared a season-best 10 feet at the Crown Point meet. "We watched (Homestead freshman Katie Veith) attempt 12-9 at the Penn Relays, and that was really exciting. I think it's awesome to see girls go that high. (It) makes me think I could maybe do that."
Funding the fun
The cost of pole vaulting can get a little pricey, since sticks can run as much as $400. But that's not a problem at Crown Point High School.
"We've spent quite a bit on poles," Crown Point boys track coach Dennis Bunda said. "I'm just happy that the athletic department allows us to get the devices we need."
Co-athletic director Bill Dorulla just wants to ensure that safety is at a premium.
"Any time you're working with pole vault, you want to get them the best equipment to keep things safe," Dorulla said. "We've tried to get the coaches what they need in any sport. Right now, we've got some very good vaulters and we want to help them to get to the next level.
"If a coach is really passionate about his sport, you always want to do what you can for them."
Bunda and all the CP pole vaulters are extremely passionate about their sport.
"I've become addicted to the event," Bunda said. "I've read everything I could get my hands on to teach the kids. These kids love it. If we could practice at midnight, they'd be out there."
"If they'd turn on the lights, I'd go out," said Crown Point senior Jason Aubuchon, who recently signed with Indiana State. "I wish I had (a pole vault pit) in the backyard."
Junior Biven Fuqua, who finished fifth at regionals last season, enjoys Bunda's zest for the sport.
"He has a major impact," Fuqua said. "If he didn't have that enthusiasm for it, we probably wouldn't be doing this."
Right now, Fuqua is clearing 14-1 -- the school's record -- in practice, and he hopes to break that mark in a meet soon. He credits his achievement to his state-of-the-art equipment.
"We just have more of an opportunity to better and further ourselves," Fuqua said. "I can switch poles, depending on the conditions. That makes me feel safer and it gives me the confidence to do my best."
The price is too high?
At last year's Porter County Conference boys track meet, Wheeler was the host, but the pole vault was held at Morgan Twp. That's because Wheeler had decided earlier that season to not have any involvement in pole vault, with either the boys or girls
"Last spring, we made the decision among ourselves," Wheeler boys coach Steve Snodgrass said. "We didn't have a single track coach that had any knowledge of it. That's a lot of responsibility, and that was a risk we were not willing to meet."
Snodgrass noticed that same thought pattern at a dual meet this season at Knox.
"There was just one boy who did the pole vault," he said. "The boy was a senior, and he had been doing the sport for a while, but their staff said that they wouldn't be doing it next season."
According to IHSAA assistant commissioner Bobby Cox, Wheeler's situation isn't a unique one.
"It's a very specialized sport, and the costs can run around $8,(000)-to-$10,000," Cox said. "It might be hard to justify the sport if you only have five or six kids participating.
"There are (also) safety issues which must be weighed with budgetary considerations. We're not advocating dropping the event, but we also understand if schools might not want to contest in it."
Time will tell
Valparaiso might not be competing in girls pole vault this season, but it's in the back of coach Jim McCall's mind.
"It's not being scored right now," McCall said, "so it's harder to spend our time and effort to coach it."
At this point, assistant coach Mick Cavanaugh is working with a group of eager neophytes, and they're learning the event at a slow pace.
"We wholeheartedly support that we've had two exhibition years," McCall said. "I just pity those who rushed into it. Bad habits and poor techniques could result, and those will be the girls who will be getting injured when the height starts going up."
"We're looking at the future, not next week."
McCall also said that he didn't want to pull someone he's using in a scored event to compete in the unscored pole vault. Boone Grove coach Candy Wilson faces that dilemma with Jen Regan and Sarah Ansburg, who are currently practicing for this year's regional pole vault competition.
But they're doing so at a slow pace -- maybe two or three hours a week -- because they're already needed in four other events.
Former Wolves vaulter Mike Regan, Jen's older brother, spends what free time he has working with the girls.
"They are progressing," said Mike, a state qualifier last season. "We are just more concerned about safety and getting them used to the event."
"It's pretty hard, seeing that you always don't really know what you're doing," Jen Regan said. "We don't have a chance to spend a lot of practice time on pole vault.
Ansburg, who shares the team's lone pole with her teammate, hopes in time that she'll improve.
"I'm having a problem getting in the air and placing the pole," said Ansburg, a state medalist in gymnastics this past winter. "I watched Mike last year, and it looked like a lot of fun.
"It's a little nerve-wracking now, but in time I think we're going to be all right."