High School leaders who have made 18'0

[swtvault]

I compiled this data from all the high schoolers who have made 16' each year since 1999. I am sure I missed several and have some PR's wrong. Of the roughly 169 vaulters I saw that cleared 4.90+, only 18 have went on to clear higher than 5.49 and only 1 has went on to clear 5.79 (Skipper.) Pretty amazing that less than 1% of all the 16' high school vaulters ever go on to make 19' and only 10% ever make 18+

Here are the leaders of the pack for elite high school vaulters during that era (HS PR's In parentheses) May be wrong on some of the post-collegiate PR's as i went off of memory on most.

Tommy Skipper-5.80 (5.56 in 2003)
Jason Colwick-5.72 (5.18 in 2006)
Eric Eschbach-5.70 (5.54 in 1999)
Brad Gebauer-5.60 (5.01 in 2002)
PaulGensic-5.56 (5.10 in 2001)
Gable Baldwin-5.56 (5.20 in 2003)
Ray Scotten-5.55 (5.10 in 2002)
Jordan Scott-5.55 (5.18 in 2006)
Mitch Greeley-5.55 (5.10 in 2004)
Scott Roth-5.55 (5.31 in 2007
Maston Wallace-5.55 (5.31 in 2007)
Dustin Deleo-5.51 (4.93 in 2004)
Jimmie Heath-5.50 (4.90 in 2004)
Chip Heuser-5.50 (5.20 in 2003)
Bobby Most-5.50 (5.40 in 2001)
Sage Thames-5.50 (5.37 in 2000)
Randy Flach-5.50 (4.95 in 2000)
Daniel Trosclair-5.50 (4.90 in 1999)

[Tim McMichael]

It takes about a decade to learn to vault well. Without the support system necessary to allow a good high school vaulter to continue jumping long enough to make it to the elite level, not very many are going to get there. I think those stats are more of an indictment of our sport’s organization than a commentary on the disappointment of our aspiring high schoolers.

Another issue is the changing of coaches and differences in technical models that come with moving from high school to college and then from college to the pros. To continue to improve, consistency of training and theory is essential. These are factors that do not get enough attention. This is another reason I taught Jack to jump like Joe and I. I have been his private coach and Joe will be his college coach. If he were to go somewhere where his vault would be overhauled to conform to another model, he might still jump high, but we probably would not hear from him for at least two years. Combine that with having to get an education, moving to a new place, experiencing a different environment, and working a new training system, and you have a disaster on your hands. Too much can go wrong.

[swtvault]

I agree Tim....I hope nobody take this as a shot to our HS talent.

[Tim McMichael]

I agree Tim....I hope nobody take this as a shot to our HS talent.

I didn't take it that way at all. You are pointing out a statistic that ought to change. I have a strong feeling that our sport is moving in the right direction. Good things are coming, and more of our young vaulters are going to realize their potential. There are just too many good people working really hard to make this happen.

[Robert schmitt]

I thought walker jumped 16' in HS.

[invert07]

nick frawley midlothian high school 17'.50" (2006 graduate) jumped 5.51 this year indoor

[rainbowgirl28]

I thought walker jumped 16' in HS.

Yup, he did in 1999, so he would definitely be one to add to the list.

Also, didn't Tyson Byers jump 5.50 once at Washington State? He went 17'1 in high school.

[tennpolevault]

Rocky Danners; 17 in HS, 18' 1" @ UT.

[Robert schmitt]

Here is a link to becca's WA top HS vaulters list http://www.polevaultpower.com/wa/alltimeb.html Walker '99 16'

[CowtownPV]

First of all this isn't just a pole vault problem, lots of great HS athletes don't make it in college. Several factors can cause this. Sometimes its burnout, kids start young and many specialize way too early in life. Also in all sports it is tough to go from being a stud to a freshman. The kid who jumps 16+ in HS probably medals at every meet and then is average in college. Jim Davis jumped 17'1 in HS and his first collge meet he went 17'2 but placed like 5th. He was used to winning easy. Some kids don't handle it that well. Another thing that gets alot of college athletes is simply put as PARTY. Kids get away from home and some can handle the distractions and some can't. To me it really comes down to the athlete. There are many elite athletes who overcame several problems to make it. My saying here at the bottom came from a US track coach in the 70's when he was asked how our track athletes could compete against Russia when they were paying their athletes and we forced our track athletes to be amatuers.

[skyin' pimp]

a good ol' buddy of mine Dustin DeRosier made 14'6" in HS (1992)from WI and then cleared 5.50 (1997) at SCSU (MN), and let's see, how 'bout your hillybilly redneck a** doin' 5.10 in HS then 5.52 at SWT??? how do you make that list and forget about yourself?!? You do nothin' but crack me up... give me a call

[ACvault]

I think factors like technical models, burnout (both mental and physical), support systems, and motivation are all contributors in this case. However...

I agree with CowtownPV when he says it comes down to the athlete. The bottom line is this: If you want to be elite, then you have to be freaking obsessive about it. The best guys in the world will do anything they have to in order to train, regardless of what they have access to. You can talk about no access to this or no access to that, but at the end of the day it is up to the willpower of the athlete to put himself or herself in a position to be the best vaulter they can be.

Look at Tim Mack. This dude went what...5 years of vaulting without a sponsor? If you have read his book you will know everything he had to go through to just get by, let alone win a gold medal!

Jeff Hartwig. Jumped 17'4 at ASU? He sure wasn't on a lot of people's radar when he got out of college, I'm sure he had to be obsessive about what he was doing with Earl Bell.