Helena Vaulters Article (MT)

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http://www.helenair.com/articles/2005/0 ... 005_05.txt

Vaulting to the top

By TOM COTTON - IR Sports Editor - 05/20/05

Helena High pole vaulting coach Doug LeBrun remembers a time when Ryan Guazzo, Ryan Hagener and Shane Willems had pole vaulting form that wasn't exactly picture perfect. They would spin any old way over the bar, sometimes clearing the height and sometimes not. LeBrun even has photos of their pole vaulting exploits from middle school.

Things have changed considerably since that time.

Guazzo, Hagener and Willems have moved to the top of the class in the high school pole vaulting ranks and the three seniors are a big reason why the Helena High boys track team will be among the favorites to win a Western AA divisional crown this weekend as well as a state title.

"They are an extra special group and they will be missed," LeBrun said.

LeBrun said he considers the three athletes friends and that friendship started in middle school. The three young athletes were strongly influenced by the success of Helena High vaulters, who at the time were regularly among the state's best.



Guazzo calmly informed his mother that he was going to throw the javelin and compete in the pole vault in high school.

The javelin may not have worked out so well for Guazzo, but the pole vault certainly has for the three teammates.

They have attended LeBrun's pole vaulting camp, traveled all over the state for competitions and taken part in the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nev.

In the course of the training, the trio has gone from middle schoolers with questionable technique to high schoolers who now regularly clear 14 feet.

Guazzo went 14-feet-6 inches in the state meet last year and brought home a second-place medal. Willems was right behind in fourth place, vaulting 14-feet.

Willems picked up where he left off last season, and now he is the owner of the second-best mark in the state, at 15-feet-1 inch.

LeBrun said Willems' confidence has grown exponentially since first took up the sport.

"You don't see him run down and not jump too often," LeBrun said.

Guazzo has the fourth best height in the state at 14-feet-6 and Hagener also among the top 10 at 14-feet. Both have outstanding technique with Guazzo using a great plant to clear the bar and Hagener has above-average speed to post solid heights.

The Helena contingent are all are hard workers as LeBrun said they will rarely slack off on training, running 40s at full speed.

"You ask them to do something and most of the time they will do it," LeBrun said. "Especially this year. They are pretty well focused."

The trio is fairly well focused when they hit the runway up to the pit, but they are not above some good-natured ribbing amongst themselves.

When asked what he thinks about when he gets ready to vault, Hagener says with a laugh â€â€