Name Dropping: Pole Vault Greats.

                                         
Pole vaulting is - for me - a lifetime journey. Using an aluminum pool-brush pole to clear a strip of wood molding held up by neighborhood friends in the backyard:  my first pole vault experience. The height was probably 4 or 5 feet. Inspiration for that first vault:  watching the 1968 Olympic Games and seeing Bob Seagren capture the gold metal for the U.S.

In 1969, after failing at every track event tryout, my coach - Bob Mosher eventually decided to send me to a local man whose son was a national-class high school vaulter. The man was Ken McCall and his son Gary had vaulted 15-feet as a Junior at Edgewater High School in Orlando and was ranked 2nd in the U.S.

Coach Mosher suggested that I go to the first meet of the year and help Ken McCall raise the crossbar. I arrived late but in time to see Gary set a new indoor record -  jumping  14'7". The bar was raised to 15-feet (memorable for me, as I was on the floor helping).  Gary was a true local celebrity and I was sorry to see him suffer a pulled hamstring on the next vault - setting him out for the season. Watching that meet and feeling the excitement was enough to get me hooked.

I started going to Edgewater High School's track practice the rest of the season  - to receive coaching from Ken McCall. Unfortunately our school's poles were much too big for me to bend (in fact, later newspaper articles referred to me as "little Jerry Hock"). In those days, schools might only have one fiberglass pole and if it wasn't your weight you were out of luck.

Winter Park High School had a few poles, but their previous vaulters were big boys. Paul Maliska, an all around great athlete, vaulted at Winter Park a few years before me and they supplied him with a Thermoflex pole. I guess it was about a 180 lb. test. Another pole we had was a Cata-Pole and it was about a 170 lb. test. I weighed around 125 lbs., so that posed a major problem for me the first season. However, I somehow I managed to straight vault 10'6" in 1969.  During the summer I continued to practice and a family friend graciously purchased for me a new Cata-Pole that I was able to bend.

I remember going out everyday through the summer and by the start of my senior year had topped 13-feet. I'm sure Coach Mosher couldn't believe it when I came back after the summer as an asset to the team. Later that year I set the school record three times eventually topping 13'6".  That was enough to help me get a scholarship to the local Jr. College track team and eventually on to N.C. State.

Forty years of pole vaulting have given me deep memories and I've been fortunate to make many acquaintances.  It all started watching Bob Seagren duel John Pennel and continued as the world record advanced 37 times.  Sergei Bubka dominated for 10 years - beginning with 19'2" in 1984 and advanced the record 17 times, ultimately achieving the highest vault - of all times, to this day - at 20-feet 2-inches in 1994.

When I began in the early years - long before the internet - we followed the records in magazines or maybe saw a track meet on T.V. ABC's Wide World of Sports was a source of inspiration as they televised a few big meets each year. Of course, every four years you could see the Olympic Pole Vault competition. I was obsessed with pole vaulting and my heroes were the vaulters I  read about or saw on T.V.

In 1970, I remember when the University of Florida came to our high school track for a duel meet with Florida State. We used Showalter Field, in Winter Park, to practice and it was the top track in Orlando at that time. Seeing University of Florida's vaulter Scott Hurley's 15-foot vault was a giant thrill.  On that same day, I also saw Allen McMillen.  Both Hurley and McMillen continued to vault higher. Hurley ultimately won the prestigious Milrose Games and achieved some national notoriety.  Allen McMillen jumped first for Seminole Jr. College  - where he led the nation, then went on to Florida State University to eventually finish fourth in the NCAA at 16'6".

With Gary McCall out of action in 1970, University of Florida freshman Mike Cotton began winning South Eastern Conference meets. By 1972 he was over 17-feet and easily the best vaulter in the southeast. I saw Cotton vault 16-feet indoors at the Orlando Sports Stadium. That was the first time I saw a 16' clearance.

On the world scene, Bob Seagren was the superstar - with veteran John Pennel challenging.  Seagren and Pennel took turns setting the world pole vaulting record as it inched toward 18-feet. Jan Johnson of Alabama was also ranked high, along with Steve Smith.

In June of 1970, East Germany's Wolfgang Nordwig topped Pennel's 17'10" record and went 17'11" to become the first non-American to hold the world record since Pentti Nikula vaulted 16'3" in 1962. Excepting Nikula, Americans had claimed the pole vault world record for 43 years - going back to Sabin Carr's historic 14-foot clearance on May 27th, 1927.

Access to better poles - spreading through Europe - led to rapid change in the pole vault world.  Wolfgang Nordwig became the vaulter to beat and Sweden's Kjell Isaksson was beginning to show his expertise on the pole.

 In the 1972 Olympics, much-publicized controversy over the banning of the American vaulters' green Cata-Poles ended with Bob Seagren taking second to Nordwig. Seagren had set the World Record at the Olympic-trials earlier that summer at 18'6" and was in top form to jump even higher at the games, when officials refused to allow him to use his poles claiming they were an "unfair advantage".  A great film documentary of this meet captured the drama as it unfolded -  that film is:  The Highest by Author Penn (and can be viewed on Youtube). When I saw Penn's The Highest in 1972, it filled me with enthusiasm and inspired my thinking that vaulting is the greatest sport ever.

We can't forget that as the record advanced, hundreds of vaulters across the world were evolving their technique, hoping to challenge. Following Nordwig's 17'11", Greece's Christos Papanikolaou rose to the occasion and became the first to surpass 18-feet in October 1970. That was followed by three consecutive records by Sweden's Kjell Isaksson who rapidly progressed the record.

On a windy day in June at a special pole vault practice before a pole vault-only showdown with Bob Seagren,  Isaksson was reported to have cleared 18'9".  In the actual meet, Isaksson and Seagren tied - both sharing the new world record of 18-feet 4.5-inches.

Every vaulter I knew was amazed by Isaksson and his form is textbook even today.

The next world record brought attention to Florida and especially the University of Florida as head coach Jimmy Carnes, already a legend in track had convinced Olympian Dave Roberts to train at the University as he completed his medical degree. The world record had been static for three years when Roberts, with a little advice from Orlando's Ken McCall shocked the vault world and topped 18' 6.5" to break the record at the Florida Relays. This was the biggest day in Florida pole vault history.

In the years prior to Robert's big leap, Florida was being well represented by Allen McMillen and of course Mike Cotton. Cotton was the best vaulter by far that I ever saw in person and I would do just about anything to talk to him if we were at the same meet. He would be in the invitational class while I was improving but still just reaching 15'.

Another famous vaulter appearing around the south in the early 70's was Earl Bell. I remember when Earl was a sophomore at Arkansas and I was back from N.C. State - about 1974, we were both in a meet in Mobile, Alabama. I was coaching a Seminole Jr. College vaulter named Manny Weatherbee. I had gone out at 15'6" but Weatherbee made his first 16' vault. This pushed Bell to clear 16'6" for the win. He went on to go 17-feet for the first time that night. Nearly 20 years later when I finally had the chance to spend some time with Earl Bell, I reminded him of that night and his first 17-foot vault and he remembered all the details.

Bell was improving fast in those days. He continued to vault higher each year as he inched his way to earning a place on the U.S. Olympic team. In 1976, Earl set his World Record in Wichata. Bell topped Roberts mark by vaulting 18'7.25". One month later, at the '76 Olympic trials -  Dave Roberts reclaimed the record with an 18'8.5" record. This was the last time an American would set the world outdoor record.

Over the next four years, I continued to vault in Florida and the southeast. I was a home builder and that allowed me the freedom to spend my afternoons at Winter Park's Showalter Field. I continued to improve my vault while at the same time helping coach the high school vaulters.

My coaching resulted in 15 state high school and Jr. College State and National champions over the next 15 years. Pharres Rolle was an exceptional vaulter I coached and the first to break my high school mark. Before he graduated, Pharres Rolle raised the record to 15' 3". As vaulters from all around began to train with me at Showalter, Central Florida continued to have the top vaulters.

Some of the memorable names and champions I coached include:  Tommy Kaminer who surpassed Rolle's record then went on to capture the Jr. College National Championships; Ken Stissel - who eventually broke Kaminer's record and won the state title; and Al Stanley - a vaulter from Lyman High school, who excelled and jumped at Florida State.  One of my best Florida prep-vaulters was Todd Postlmayr - who broke all the high school records during his tenure.  Daryl Meadows came from lake Highland prep-school to win his state title.  Other great former high school vaulters I coached were Dan Mattox, Clint McManus, Evan Spence, and the legendary Steve Hunt.

It would take an entire chapter to tell about Steve Hunt, but the short version is:  Hunt was one of the boldest vaulters you might ever meet. Hunt had no fear and he tremendous talent. In high school at Winter Park he was a fair vaulter who jumped about 14'6". He kept vaulting after high school and coached at Showalter Field.  Hunt continued to improve and on one special night at a big invitational meet at Showalter, vaulted 17'6" and nearly cleared 18-feet against some world class vaulters.

Steve Hunt often carried his pole on his motorcycle. He would do front flips from the bleachers into an old pole vault pit from 30 feet up. There are many more stories about Steve Hunt but I will save some for another blog.

All of these vaulters set the stage for Florida's greatest vaulter ever. A vaulter who would surpass the 17-foot mark in high school, Mike Holloway attended Edgewater High School but began his track career at Lake Highland - where he captured his first of four state titles.

Holloway went on to vault at the University of Florida and continued to set records. His 18'8" jump in Indiana is the college record and ranked him in the 1992 U.S. top-10.  Holloway finished 5th at the '92 Olympic-trials and then headed to Houston to work with legendary sprint coach Tom Tellez. While at Houston, Holloway finished 3rd in the U.S.A. Championships and made the World Championship team.  I was Mike Holloway's pole vault coach throughout his 12-year career.  He was adamant in having me continue to coach him when he moved from high school to the University of Florida and again when he moved to Houston.

Holloway and I traveled all across the country as he competed in college and open meets. The associations we made form the foundation of my elite-status pole vault coaching credentials.

Sergei Bubka was on top of the world from 1984 until his last record in 1994. During Bubka's record-setting run, his competitors were caught off-guard.  I was lucky to be working with Dr. R.V. "Dick" Ganslen during this time. He had completed the last edition of his famed book, Mechanics of the Pole Vault, in 1980 and we were working on a new project. This project was a pole vault poster to be distributed all around the world. It would have illustrations and Dick's technical writing along with a special sequence photo feature of Sergei Bubka. Ganslen was the most recognized authority in the world on the pole vault at that time and was able to communicate with the Russian sports council - acquiring statistics and scientific information on Bubka and the physics of his jumps, which Ganslen incorporated in the poster. Ganslen would send me photos of Bubka and I then sent to Ganslen detailed drawings from the pictures. I treasure my correspondences with Dick and I still have some of our worksheets from which he prepared his text for the poster.

Notoriety from my association with Ganslen - combined with my own vaulting experience and coaching expertise led me to feel comfortable communicating with renowned coaches as well as the great vaulters of the day.  I had my favorites and always gave suggestions when asked.

At one meet in Johnson City, Tennessee (where Mike Holloway had one of his first big jumps), Earl Bell was also entered in the meet. On one run through I thought it looked like Earl was under on his step. Since I was on the floor with a coaches pass that night, I thought it only considerate to mention it to Earl.  At this point in his career, Earl Bell already had three Olympics and a world record to his credit.  He was a 20-year pole vault veteran who really did not need my advice, but all pole vault veterans know - everybody's a coach.  Later on, Earl and I developed a friendship and enjoyed lengthy pole vault discussions.

That was the same night I met Olympic Gold-medalist hurdler Roger Kingdom - who was interested in having me help him with pole vaulting, as he was considering the decathlon as an alternative event.  Kingdom thanked me when I presented to him a copy of my poster.  Also, on that same night, I was able to meet and speak (through an interpreter) to the 1988 Olympic Bronze Medalist - Grigoriy Yegorov. I gave Yegorov one of my new posters and he said he had one of them already in his room in Russia. I signed the new poster and Yegorov signed a picture for me.

1988 was the year Bubka won his gold medal and the Russians were awarded all the pole vault medals.  Our Olympic contenders were Kory Tarpening, Earl Bell and Billy Olsen. Olsen was 30 years old and making his sole Olympic appearance. Billy Olsen had been a  viable challenger to Bubka in the years before the '88 games, as he set numerous indoor world records in a fierce battle with Bubka where both exchanged the record week-in and week-out.  During this indoor season, Joe Dial got in on the action and claimed the record for a few hours at 19'5".   Bubka ultimately dominated all the records - but Olsen, Dial and Bell provided challenge to Bubka in the beginning.

As Mike and I traveled around the country competing,  he was going up the ladder in heights and competed against almost all the strong U.S.A. contenders. The ones I remember being the most competitive during the years leading up to the '88 trials were Kory Tarpening, Earl Bell, Billy Olsen, Tim Bright, Scott Davis, Doug Fraley, Jeff Ward and Lane Lohr.

Jeff Ward actually trained in Florida and came to Showalter Field for an invitational meet one time. Ward was a consistent 18-foot performer and once cleared 18'8'' going over on his back without turning.

Mike Tully was still vaulting and he and Earl Bell would travel to meets together. I remember once when they came to Showalter for a big meet when Mike was still in high school. I told Mike Tully that Holloway might very well be the next big deal.  Just 4 years later at the Olympic Trials in New Orleans, Holloway qualified for the finals and Tully did not.

Tully was the best in the U.S. for nearly 20 years and was coached by Tom Tellez and by another old friend of mine - David Johnston. David is the younger brother of the Masters pole vaulting great, Joe Johnston. Tully was the silver medalist in the 1984 Olympics and set American records throughout the '80s. He represented the U.S. in two Olympics.

Tully's vaulting, especially his assault on the 19-foot mark, was America's hope against the challenge that came from European vaulters after Seagren's retirement in 1972. The vaulters I remember watching in the early '80s were Tully, Bell, Olsen and Dan Ripley. In 1982, in a  televised meet in Tennessee, Ripley and Olsen both cleared 18-feet 9.5-inches to share the American record.

Also in the early 1980's, two other names were being heard:  they were Joe Dial and Greg Duplantis. More about Duplantis later - but as for Joe Dial, I recall his vault at Showalter for the first Golden South meet. Duplantis was also jumping that night and I was working the vault. I had heard about Dial and his record 18' high school vault but I couldn't believe what I saw that night when this guy picked up his 16'5" pole and sailed over 17'6". Relatively small for a vaulter, Joe Dial weighed about 130 pounds and was only about 5'8". I'm guessing the pole was at least a 180 test. It all seemed physically impossible.

This was the beginning of Dial's vault career and he was an exciting favorite of  pole vault and track fans for years to come. In 1987, Dial vaulted 19-feet 5-inches for the indoor world record.  Joe Dial and Mike Holloway trained together for the 1996 Olympic Trials. Dial was ranked the Number One American vaulter in 1985, but was in the top-10 from 1981 to 1989 and again in 1995.  An amazing vaulter and pound for pound the best  vaulter I have ever seen, Dial changed the stereotypical-standard experts previously held regarding the physical requirements for vaulters. Today when we watch France's Renaud Lavillenie, I see the same techniques that Dial first employed twenty years ago. They both were and are amazingly fast on the runway, and they both load the pole in a similar fashion.

Greg Duplantis was another vaulter of smaller physical stature who excelled at the event. When I was invited to be an honorary official at the 1989 U.S.A. Championships in Houston, I  was getting the vaulters' steps and catching poles.  I had seen Duplantis vault when he was in high school several years earlier, but was in complete awe of the speed and power he applied to his vaults.

We were talking a lot about "pole loading" in 1989 and Duplantis was a master at loading the pole. His run reminded me of a chainsaw at top RPM because his legs churned so fast. He compressed his pole over 90 degrees.  He must have been on a pole 40 or 50 pounds over his weight because when he got inverted it vaulted him into orbit.

On that day - of the 1989 U.S.A. Championships in Houston - Kory Tarpenning won the championship with an impressive take-off that was about one foot out, but Duplantis' performance was particularly memorable -  as his determination and ability to take the vault to the limits of the pole and the body were so evident.

See images from the 1989 USATF Championships in Houston here.

That 1989 U.S. Championships meet was a great opportunity to observe the best vaulters in the U.S. live and in action. I remember how personable and friendly Tim Bright was.  He had already set the Olympic decathlon pole vault record at 18-feet and was challenging the best American vaulters for the top spot as well.  Bright finished second to Tarpenning, but also cleared 19-feet that day to be the 10th American over that mark.

Other vaulters I remember seeing that day at the 1989 USA Track and Field Championships, are Billy Payne, Scott Huffman, Doug Fraley and Kelly Riley.  I remember Doug Fraley's raw power and was reminded me of a football linebacker running wide open. I surmised that if a person were to accidentally cross the runway in front of Fraley, it would be lethal.  I'm pretty sure the 1989 Championships are where I met Jeff Hartwig and Pat Manson for the first time, but it could have been the next year. I know that by the early 1990's I was totally immersed in the pole vault and it occupied all my free time.

One memory that I have of the days traveling as Mike Holloway's coach is of an invitational meet in Phoenix. Nick Hysong topped the American rankings at the time but Mike was climbing after his good showing at the '92 trials.   As I used to instinctively catch everyone's step, a freshman from Tennessee caught my eye - he was fast as lightning but repeatedly too close or "under" at take-off.  Out of respect to Mike (my vaulter), I usually didn't help other vaulters during the competition.  This time howeve, Mike had his three-misses - so  I began to talk with the other vaulter. I think he listened to me because he knew I was Mike's coach and Mike's pole vault plant impressed all the vaulters.

I knew adjusting this vaulter's step would greatly improve his jump - if he could just get the step where it belonged.  He had probably been told this countless times before but for some reason that night he listened to my suggestions and we were able to get him taking off where he should be. This concise take-off  step gave his swing more power and he vaulted higher immediately. I think he had a personal record (PR) of about 18-feet before the meet. He cleared 18' again and then 18'3" for a new PR. I suggested 18'6" and he cleared that as well.  I'm thinking he made 18' 8" also, but don't remember if he made it or just had some great jumps at it. Most of all, I remember well how coach-able he was and how receptive he was to my reasoning.

I  was probably very convincing - as I was being given Elite coaching-status at all Mike's vaulting venues.  Most all the vaulters knew me and I had all the confidence in the world that my coaching techniques would really make a difference. On that night what I said did make a difference and the vaulter - Tim Mack - was grateful. He cleared at least 2 and maybe 3 new PR's and could see 19-feet in the near future.

Lawrence Johnson was another Tennessee vaulter Mike competed against.  Lawrence Johnson was one of the most physically-fit vaulters in history - fast and strong, fearless. At one meet in Eugene, Oregon - I saw Johnson practice for at least two hours before the competition:  he did a full running workout plus some light vaulting drills. I thought after such exertion he wouldn't be able to vault anything when the meet started, but was amazed when he won the meet and cleared 19-feet!

Jeff Hartwig was an up-and-coming vaulter about that same time. Earl Bell was his coach and Hartwig rapidly improved every year. Holloway and Hartwig had a similar build - tall and lanky. Hartwig always seemed so consistent in his vault. As a former vaulter I never lost my appreciation for an athlete with a passion for vaulting and the work ethic it takes to accomplish great vaulting goals. Hartwig had both the passion and the athletic work ethic and showcased those attributes in the years that followed as he evolved into the most consistent vaulter in history.

Jeff Hartwig's 19-foot-plus jump years are ones  I recognize as great achievements in vaulting history and I personally think he is among a small group who can be called the greatest vaulters of all time.  In addition to Jeff Hartwig, my list of Greatest Vaulters of All Time includes:  Cornelius Warmerdam, Bob Richards, Bo Morcom, John Pennel, Bob Seagren, Kjell Isaksson, Earl Bell, Sergei Bubka, Makisim Tarasov, and Renaud Lavillenie.

I include Bo Morcom on my list not only for his 1948 Olympic team appearance, but for his unbelievable string of records as a Masters vaulter. I was fortunate to know and vault with Bo in Orlando and he was really a phenomenon. As a masters vaulter myself,  I  remember looking at Morcom's records when I was 40 (when I could still jump 15-feet) and thinking I would have a chance at some of them. Then, when I turned 50,  Morcom's records all seemed out-of-reach. Only in the last few years have vaulters started to eclipse his marks that he set 20 and 30 years ago, before masters track was anywhere near as organized or as popular as it is now.

I'd like to mention additionally other great vaulters (I have either studied on film or seen in-person) who I feel deserve special mention and recognition:

Florida's Mike Cotton was an impressive vaulter with tremendous efficiency. When he cleared 17'9" in 1973 he was only holding a 14-foot "effective" grip. He consistently would vault bars 3-feet above his grip. Watching hundreds of vaulters over the years and thousands of great vaults give me a unique perspective. I recognize immediately the exceptionally-talented vaulters - Cotton was one of those and his straight-up rocket-vaults are embedded in my memory. He is also one of the most humble and nicest men a person might ever hope to meet.  What made Cotton's vault so memorable and efficient?  Cotton was quick-to-his-back - and following this quick inversion, he seemed to rocket upward for a remarkably extended time.

I could not write this post without mention of Charlie Polhamus. Charlie is a close friend of mine, but his vaulting history is documented proof of his vaulting hall-of-fame merit. Polhamus was one of the first masters vaulters to compete nationally in the 1970s. At age 39, Polhamus vaulted 15'9" to set the age record. He holds numerous Masters World and American records and was a three-time Masters World Champion. Perhaps a greater feat than all this is Charlie's contribution to the sport of pole vaulting. Charlie discovered (years before anyone else was even thinking about it) the most efficient way to plant and take off. Today he calls it the "press support" and - to his credit - has coached an unbelievable number of State and National championship kids.  In the days Joe Johnston, Charlie and I vaulted together -  Charlie was beginning to implement this penetrating plant - enabling him to load the pole much more efficiently than us, popping him off the end the pole. Charlie is not the fastest on the runway, but later we learned Charlie had made a scientific study of the dynamics of Bubka's plant and really put that observation to good use.

Obviously there is a lot more to what Charlie coaches than what one sees merely watching a Bubka video. What impresses me in Polhamus' coaching is that he understands just what it takes to get the most penetration (forward momentum) and combine that with the quickest invert.

Women really began to vault around 2000, therefore my years around vaulting have been spent primarily around males, which is why I haven't mentioned women vaulters. I have known and coached a few good women vaulters in my career. The first woman I ever saw try the pole vault was the great Phil Raschker from Atlanta. This was probably around 1994 and she was jumping close to 11-feet. I am pretty sure she made the Olympic exhibition team in 1996. Over my years as a masters vaulter I have been in several meets with Phil and she is a tough competitor and holds age group masters records in so many events it would be impossible to list.

Once regulations changed and girls were included in all sports in schools we saw more girls participate in pole vaulting. The first girl I coached was Susanne Makinson from Franklin, NC. She was an exceptional high school athlete and vaulted about 10'6". She went on to Appalachian State to clear 13'4" and qualify for the NCAA finals.

The next really good girl vaulter I coached is Carrie Long. Carrie was another all-around athlete and she set the school record and was North Carolina top female high school vaulter her senior year with a 12' 1" jump.

I was lucky to meet Stacy Dragilla at Modesto when she set one of her early World records. She was amazing back then as she was clearing 15' years before any other women. In the past few years I have had the pleasure of meeting  Lacy Jansen. She came to Franklin to see her Grandfather and graced me with a visit. I have enjoyed watching Jansen the last few years as she worked her way up the ladder and finally made the Olympic team in 2012.

It would be impossible to mention all the great vaulters I've met or coached in my 40 years of vaulting experience.  I'll certainly add to this blog and submit more names and experiences as I remember them. Thank you for reading my blogs and I hope you will be interested in my pole vault book when it comes out this summer or fall. In contrast to this blog my book will be a technical text filled with pictures and illustrations of the vault.