Corey Kraft 15-6, will walk-on at ASU (AZ)

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http://www.azcentral.com/sports/preps/a ... kraft.html

Desert Vista pole vaulter reaches goal
1 comment by Jim Richards - May. 5, 2008 11:49 AM
Special for The Republic
The only goal on Phoenix Desert Vista senior pole vaulter Corey Kraft's mind this season was to make his dad's team next season.

And when his dad - who happens to be Greg Kraft, Arizona State University's director of Track & Field - told him he needed to vault at least 15 feet 3 inches to have the chance to walk on to the ASU team, he made sure he got there.

In the final meet of the regular season two weeks ago at Mesa Westwood and with the pressure of the state track meet just ahead, Corey first vaulted 15-3 and followed that with a vault of 15-6 in front of his dad.

"It was a big relief off my shoulders," Corey said. "I had been trying to go 15-3 all season and it finally happened. The 15-6 was just icing on the cake."

Corey's jump of 15-6 was the second best of the season at Desert Vista behind senior Alec Hsu's 15-7. It also tied Mesa Mountain View's Brandon Bear's 15-6 for the second highest state qualifying jump heading into this week's Class 5A Division I state track and field meet to be held at Desert Vista beginning Thursday.

His jump was 9 inches better than his high his junior year. He has progressed incrementally in Desert Vista coach Jeff Guy's system, going from highs of 11-6 his freshman year to 13-6 his sophomore year to 14-6 after his junior year.

The ASU-qualifying vaults were also important to Guy.

"It's kind of a goal for myself to get him good enough so that he would be able to compete for his dad," said Guy, who is so well respected among pole vaulters that he has 35 vaulters when other schools have one or two. "He's going to be part of the team, and he's worked hard to get there."

Guy keeps pole vaulting fun at the Ahwatukee school and makes sure his vaulters are part of a community that helps one another.

"Pole vaulting is not about winning or losing, it's about accomplishing goals," Guy said. "It's a social event. We help other schools. We help each other. It's the only sport in the world where the competitors actually assist each other. That's what I present and that's what I think makes it an attraction for the kids. We're not really trying to beat the other competitors. It's really the bar that is the competitions."

For the younger Kraft, it was ASU or nothing. He had entertained a few offers to vault at other universities, but ASU on his mind from Day 1.

"I wasn't really looking at any other colleges," Corey said. "If I didn't make 15-3, I probably wouldn't be jumping in college. ASU was my main choice to go to school academically, not just for sports. It's also close to home and it's like a different feel. You feel that you're in a different area, but you're still close to home. I wanted to be around my family and friends and be a part of a great track program.

"I was a little bit anxious trying to get to it all season. Coach Guy is a wonderful coach, and I had been jumping well at practice."

With the pressure of qualifying for ASU out of the way, Corey, along with Hsu, will be trying to keep the pole vault title at Desert Vista. Desert Vista's Shea Kearney's 16-4 won the event a year ago.

"Now it's not about jumping 15-3 or making the walk-on, per se," Corey said. "There are a lot of good competitors at state and I just want to come out with a high jump."

He knew all along he was going to qualify for his dad's team.

"I knew it was going to come sooner or later," Corey said. "And it just happened to come later."