Derek Miles after his fourth victory at the Pole Vault Summit in Reno (© Kirby Lee)
Reno, Nevada, USADerek Miles is almost good as new.
Miles, who was sidelined for nearly a year from complications from a stress fracture in his tibia, scaled 5.80m to win the elite men’s competition in the National Pole Vault Summit at the Reno Livestock Events Center on Friday (4 Jan).
Jillian Schwartz won the women’s competition at 4.30m in the 18th annual meeting that features more than 1,300 athletes in 72 pole vault competitions contested simultaneously in 12 pits over two days.
Miles Outduels Stevenson to collect fourth Reno victory
Miles won the competition with a third-attempt clearance at 5.80m to defeat Toby Stevenson, who finished second 5.70m after a near miss on his first of three attempts at 5.80m. Jeff Ryan was third at 5.50m and Jeff Hartwig, who turned 40 last September, was fourth in an age 40 world best of 5.50m.
Miles’ triumph marked the fourth Summit win for the seventh-place finisher in the 2004 Olympic Games. Miles, 35, won three consecutive titles from 2002-04 but his win on Friday was particularly gratifying after missing the 2006 season and much of the 2007 campaign because of a stress fracture in his middle right tibia in his non takeoff leg.
Miles had surgery to place a titanium intramedullary rod in December 2006 but was sidelined for almost a year because of the injury. He waited for half a year hoping for the injury to heal before the surgery and needed six months of rehab after the surgery. Miles still isn’t able to do plyometrics or hard running because of the condition.
“When I finally started to pole vault, I had no training,” Miles said. “Ever since then, I have slowly been adding strength. Now, that I have had a full fall to train it’s starting to comeback around.”
Optimistic for 2008
Miles cleared an indoor best of PB of 5.85m in 2005 but his performance at this Summit was his best ever from an abbreviated 12-step approach. He said the adrenalin from the enthusiastic crowd helped him on Friday.
“I am kind of excited but I am kind of like ‘I have no idea where I am at’,” Miles said. “I am jumping OK from 12 steps but I need to move back to my long run and do the same thing.”
The rest will be up to his coaches Earl Bell and Lucky Huber. Miles splits time between Bell in Jonesboro, Ark. and his college coach Lucky Huber in Vermillion, S.D. Bell assists Miles with his technique while Huber works with Miles on strength and speed.
“I am back and forth all the time wherever that I feel like I need to go, “ Miles said. “Right now, it’s about time to work on a little bit of technique stuff and keep on the strength stuff.”
Schwartz Wins on Misses over Asay and Holliday
In the women’s competition, Schwartz won on misses over Eric Asay and Becky Holiday at 4.30m. Schwartz and Asay each cleared 4.30m on their first attempt but an opening miss for Asay at the first height of 4.10m gave Schwartz the victory. Holiday cleared 4.30m on her third try.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
Results -
Men -
1. Derek Miles (USA) 5.80m
2. Toby Stevenson (USA) 5.70m
3. Jeff Ryan (USA) 5.50m
4. Jeff Hartwig (USA) 5.50m
5. Jeremy Scott (USA) 5.40m
nh - Jacob Pauli (USA), Giovani Lanaro (MEX) and Nick Hysong (USA)
Women -
1. Jillian Schwartz (USA) 4.30m
2. Erin Asay (USA) 4.30m
3. Becky Holiday (USA) 4.30m
4. Erica Bartolina (USA) 4.20m
5. Kira Sims (USA) 4.10m
=6. Kaitlin Rains (USA) and Melinda Owen (USA) 3.95m
8. Jessie Gallaher (USA) 3.95m
