http://www.auroranewsregister.com/627Sports1.html
Baldwin ties record at 18 feet
Kurt Johnson
Husker pole vault standout Gabe Baldwin took the A'ROR'N Days crowd to new heights Saturday clearing a season-best 18 feet and barely nudging the bar off on what would have been his highest jump ever.
Competing in a field of 45 vaulters, Baldwin was clearly the star of the show, jumping in a courthouse parking lot venue he described as a perfect setting for pole vaulting.
"This is the most people I've ever jumped in front of in a street setting," said the former Grand Island Central Catholic athlete. "Last week I jumped a season PR (personal record) 17-6 at Grand Island and I think I could have gone higher but we ran out of standards. I think I can go pretty high today if we get everything right."
He did get "everything right," clearing 18 feet even on his final attempt. The bar was raised to 18-4, which would have topped his all-time best 18-2 mark set his sophomore season at UNL, but he nicked the bar, which bounced and held momentarily then fell to the ground.
"The crowd just went nuts went he cleared 18 foot and then he was over it at 18-4," said Ray Simmons, one of the event coordinators. "That was really something special to see."
A senior at UNL, Baldwin finished his final season of eligibility this spring in impressive fashion. He placed third at the Big 12 meet, then qualified for nationals where he made the finals and came in 9th with a vault of 17-3.
"I'm just out here to have fun and hang out with a bunch of friends I haven't seen for a while," he said. "Pole vaulting is a lot of fun and people enjoy watching it. Days like today are good for the sport."
TJ Pierce, director of track and field operations at the University of Nebraska wasn't surprised with the heights being cleared on Saturday. With a slightly downhill incline on a specially built raised runway, the vaulters had a fast track for the second annual A'ROR'N Days competition.
"This is a very, very fast track so that really helps the vaulters because they can run faster and get on bigger poles," he said. "This is easily the best place we vault in our whole summer series."
Pierce constructed the raised runway himself and purchased a landing pit and standards built to collegiate specifications. He has scheduled four street competitions this summer in what he said is becoming a popular fan event.
"Pole vaulters love to vault," he said. "It doesn't matter where it's at or who it's against. This is really a nice place to be because you have a beautiful town square, there is shade in the trees and you don't have to shut down a whole city block to make it happen."
Former Husker pole vaulter Chad Carlson of Aurora helped plan Saturday's event and also put on his cleats, nine years after clearing the bar at 16-10 himself.
"Jumping in front of the hometown crowd is awesome," Carlson said, disappointed that he was unable to clear opening height. "This is about competing against each other, but it's all for fun, too, so to get this type of fan base is just incredible."
The field included about one-third high school competitors, one-third collegiate jumpers and one-third "old timers," including Aurora's own Dr. Mike Sullivan, who at age 50 was the oldest competitor in the field. AJ Farrand, an eighth grader, the youngest competitor, cleared the bar at 8 feet.
Saturday's format featured the elite men and women jumpers in the first division, followed by a second division.
"We had 10 more jumpers than last year and the event did run a little long," Simmons noted. "Next year we'll probably reduce the number of mulligans and start with just five or six elite jumpers so everybody will get to see the Gabe Baldwin's jump."
Husky pole vault coach Rod Ruybalid served as announcer for the competition.
POLE VAULT RESULTS
Gabe Baldwin, unattached, 18-0
Jackie Rodgers, BSTC, 13-0
Zac Holoch, unattached, 16-0
Nic Petersen, unattached, 16-0
Kami Wettlaufer, unattached, 11-6
Audra Leichleiter, unattached, 11-6
Nate Polacek, Kearney, 15-6
Megan Pattison, unattached, 11-0
Marli Peters, Henderson, 10-6
Chris Richardson, unattached, 14-6
Corbin Tessman, Henderson, 14-6
Christi Anderson, Grand Island Northwest, 10-0
Keri Volnek, unattached, 10-0
Jesse Saner, unattached, 14-0
Jay Howland, Aurora alumni, 14-0
Adam Teniente, unattached, 14-0
Geoff Cyboron, Aurora alumni, 14-0
Clint Simmons, Aurora alumni, 14-0
Cody Frederickson, Grand Island, 12-6
Austin Pomajzl, GINW, 12-6
Chad Carlson, Aurora alumni, no height
Dakota Cochrane, unattached, no height
TJ Pierce, unattached, no height
