Mark Cufaude article (WI)

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http://www.gazetteextra.com/cufaude042706.asp

Evansville pole vaulter puts on a show, even in practice

(Published Thursday, April 27, 2006 11:15:46 AM CDT)

By John Barry
Gazette Staff

EVANSVILLE-Mark Cufaude has the ability to stop traffic.

Don't believe it? Drive by Evansville High School in the late afternoon and count the number of cars parked on the side of the road.

Cufaude is the defending WIAA Division 2 state pole vault champion. The senior's assault on a state record has turned Blue Devil track and field practice into a daily ritual for some.

Fans, and even the curious onlooker, want the opportunity to watch Cufaude soar to new heights.

"It's amazing to look over during practice and see these cars parked on the side of the road," Evansville coach Ron Thornton said.


Evansville High senior Mark Cufaude hopes to get a grip on another WIAA state title in the pole vault.
Al Hoch/Gazette Staff

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"I mean, c'mon, this is practice," Thornton said. "But that's how big Mark has become. People just stop, sit in their cars and watch him pole vault. It's unbelievable."

Cufaude cleared 14-3 a year ago to win a state title. The Division 2 state record is 15-1, set by Hans Schmidt of Park Falls in 2000.

Cufaude consistently has cleared 15 feet in practice and has a personal best of 14-8 at the Cambridge Invitational this season.

The state record can be set only at the state meet, so Cufaude is focusing on perfecting his steps and finding the right pole during regular-season duals and invitationals.

"If I hit the right jump, get my step on and get rocked back, I can definitely get 15 feet," Cufaude said. "If I get a good push, it could be 15-6."

Cufaude, the son of Mike and Jo-Al, got hooked on the pole vault in seventh grade. He and his brother, Brian, had daily battles on a Sega Game Gear track and field video game that was based on the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

Although Brian constantly beat Mark in every track and field event, Brian couldn't beat his little brother in the pole vault. That, and nothing else, got Mark started on the road that would lead to a state championship.

Mark's impact on the Evansville track and field program will be felt long after he graduates in June.

Thornton, in his fourth season as head boys and girls coach, said the number of athletes competing in pole vault because of Cufaude is staggering. The varsity boys and girls each have six competitors in the event, while 25 middle-school athletes are pole vaulting each day under the watchful eye of Cufaude.

"Mark won't really do much on his own at practice until he's helped the middle-school kids in the pole vault," Thornton said. "That's what makes him such a special kid.

"We've got a freshman (Pat Meredith) who is probably going to clear 12-0 by the end of the year, and that's unheard of,'' the coach said. "If he does, it will be because of Mark. He takes the time to help anybody that wants it, as long as they're willing to listen and work hard.

"I would say 90 percent of what Mark has accomplished is because of what he learned through his own experience," Thornton said. "I wouldn't say he was blessed as a naturally gifted athlete, especially in an event that requires so much athleticism, but nobody works harder or is harder on himself than Mark."

Thornton said Cufaude spends countless hours perfecting his trade, long after the rest of the team has headed home. Often times, Thornton sits and watches as Cufaude tries to find the right pole or the exact number of steps needed to clear a height.

However, track and field is not the only sport where Cufaude has found success. He helped lead Evansville's wrestling team to its first-ever Rock Valley Conference title this past season, and he also ran cross country in the fall.

Cufaude would like to be a Natural Resource major in college, but he hasn't ruled out also continuing to pole vault at the next level.

If 15-6 becomes a reality at the state meet, Cufaude might be able to name his college of choice.

One thing for sure, the traffic pattern indicates that many Evansville people will be watching.

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http://www.gazetteextra.com/wiaatrack_cufaude060106.asp

Evansville's Cufaude sets sights on pole vault mark

(Published Thursday, June 1, 2006 11:48:25 AM CDT)

By John Barry
Gazette Staff

Mark Cufaude's got a state title. Now the Evansville High School senior pole vaulter wants a state record.

Cufaude cleared 14 feet, 3 inches a year ago to win the WIAA Division 2 state title, but he returns to La Crosse this weekend with his sights on Hans Schmidt's Division 2 state mark of 15-1.

"If I hit the right jump, get my step on and get rocked back, I can definitely get 15 feet," Cufaude said. "If I get a good push, it could be 15-6."

Cufaude is tied with two others in Division 2 for the top qualifying height at 13-9, but he has cleared 14-8 this season. He reached 14-6 in the Rock Valley Conference and WIAA regional meets.

His state competition comes at 3 p.m. Friday at Memorial Stadium on the UW-La Crosse campus.