Doug LeBrun Article (MT Coach)

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http://www.helenair.com/articles/2005/0 ... 405_01.txt

Over the Top

By JOSH JORDAN - IR Sports Writer - 07/14/05

On the northwest side of town, just west of Montana Avenue and south of Lincoln Road, Doug LeBrun owns 22 acres of land. The retired teacher has some hay fields, a pair of horses and six baby robins he discovered in June.

And for several weeks every summer the quiet of his peaceful corner of the world is broken by 20 or 30 eight to 18-year-olds.

LeBrun coaches pole vaulting at Helena High school where his athletes have won 12 state championships. Each summer for 18 years he's offered a youth pole vaulting clinic.

"The reason I started doing it was because I knew we had some pretty good jumpers," LeBrun said, "and I wanted to know more."

That's the same reason why kids have been coming back every year. This year's clinic had seven two-day sessions spread out through June and July with 20 to 30 kids at each one.

Josh Anderson came to all seven sessions. The senior-to-be at C.M. Russell High in Great Falls has been coming to the camps since he was in the eighth grade.



"It's been a big help," he said. "We don't have the best (pole vault) coaching in Great Falls."

Anderson was joined at the final session of the year by Sean Robinson, a sophomore at Billings West, who has been coming to the clinics for three years.

Sally Franz just finished her sophomore year at Madison High in Rexburg, Idaho. She came to one of the early camps in June and liked it so much she returned.

LeBrun used to hold the clinics at Helena High School, but moved them out to his place so there would be more room and fewer time restrictions.

His 22 acres has plenty of space and time stands still there.

LeBrun's modest home with a large attached garage is surrounded by several out-buildings just off a dirt road.

There is an area for his horses â€â€