Jennifer Stuczynski prepares to vault in Reno, she won with 4.55m (© Kirby Lee)
Brad Walker and Jennifer Stuczynski, the new faces of American pole vaulting, picked off where they left off in 2005 in the 16th annual National Pole Vault Summit at the Reno Hilton on Friday, 27 January.
Walker, the Helsinki World Championship silver medallist, defended his title at 5.60m over Toby Stevenson. Stuczynski, the 2005 USA Track & Field Indoor champion, won the women’s competition at 4.55m over Jillian Schwartz.
MEN - Walker’s first time clearances count
Amid blaring rock music in the meet held on a hotel theatre stage with the men’s and women’s competition taking place on a intersecting runways, Walker needed only five jumps to win over Toby Stevenson at 5.60m on fewer misses, in what was a low key competition in comparison to previous years.
Walker, who is currently the IAAF World Ranked number one for the event, cleared 5.50m and 5.60m on his first attempts with Stevenson scaling both heights on his second try. Both then missed three times at 5.80m. Jeff Hartwig and 2000 Olympic champion Nick Hysong tied for third at 5.50m.
Breakthrough year in 2005
Walker, 24, won last year’s Pole Vault Summit in a then personal-best 5.83m to kick off his first full professional season after completing his collegiate eligibility at the University of Washington where he was a two-time NCAA indoor champion.
Walker won the 2005 USATF indoor and outdoor titles and posted wins in Paris, Sheffield and Rieti last summer. In Rieti, Walker moved into sixth place on the all-time U.S. list with a 5.96m clearance.
“It was an incredible year and a breakthrough year and I am excited to be where I am at as quickly as I have been,” said Walker, who continues to live and train in Seattle, Wash. with his college coach Pat Lacari. “It was one of those things where I was striving to make my first (U.S. national) team and things went my way and I capitalised on it.’’
Walker.enjoyed the fruits of his 2005 success in Reno where he was picked up from the airport in a limosuine for the mile drive to the hotel. He was also given his own hotel room after having to share with a roommate in previous years. “Things comes a little easier, I guess,” laughed Walker, who dressed as Superman during a skit to open the competition in Reno.
Walker plans to compete in the Millrose Games (3 Feb) in New York City, the Tyson Invitational (11 Feb) and the USATF Indoor Championships in Boston (24-26 Feb). in an attempt to qualify for the World Indoor Championships in Moscow in March (10 – 12).
His ultimate goal, however, remains the 2008 Olympics. “Obviously, I have Olympic dreams,” Walker said. “If I had a bad year (in 2005), I wasn’t going to pack it in by any means. As long as I could keep what I am doing and have fun, this is the great motivation.”
WOMEN - Stuczyinski Shooting for American Record
Stuczynski, the current yearly world indoor leader with her career-best 4.68m clearance two weeks ago in Michigan, had her own source of motivation in her first appearance in the Pole Vault Summit.
The 23-year-old had hoped to challenge the American indoor record of 4.81m held by Stacy Dragila. Dragila, an eight-time Reno winner, who was present at the meet but did not compete.
“I wanted to go after the record. I didn’t get it but we’re going to make it another meet,” said Stuczynski. “It would have been nice to jump against her but it didn’t matter who vaulted. I was doing what I needed to do.”
Still a relative newcomer to the event, Stuczynski, a former basketball, volleyball and softball player who took up vaulting a year and a half ago, said she has made great strides over the last season. She had five consecutive personal bests this season, leading up to her 4.68m vault to move into second place on the all-time U.S. indoor list.
“I’ve gone through poles and raised my grip. I’ve gotten better with the swings,” Stuczynski said. “We’re doing everything in a steady progression. We’re just going and learning the vault every day.’’
Solid outing for Stuczyinski in Reno
Competing with a singlet with the name SUHR in honour of her coach Rick Suhr, Stucyzinski passed the opening three heights at Reno before first-attempt clearances at 4.35m and 4.45m. She cleared 4.55m on her second attempt to win the competition over Schwartz, who made the height on her third attempt. Tracy O’Hara was third at 4.45m.
Stuczyinski emerged on the national scene with her victory at the USATF Indoor Championships last February in Boston - in a meet that Dragila skipped - and won the 2005 NAIA title for Roberts Wesleyan.
Summit Facts and Figures
Mike Tully, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist and Summit meet director and founder Bob Fraley were inducted into the USATF Pole Vault Hall of Fame ceremony held in conjunction with the Summit.
The two-day meet that ran through Saturday featured more than 1200 competitors ranging from high school, college and open vaulters including 2004 Mexican Olympian Giovanni Lanaro. There were 68 vault competitions contested over 15 hours with competitions taking place simultaneously on 11 runways in hotel ballrooms.
Kirby Lee for the IAAF
RESULTS
National Pole Vault Summit, Reno, USA
Men
1. Brad Walker (USA) 5.60m
2. Toby Stevenson (USA) 5.60m
3. Jeff Hartwig (USA) and Nick Hysong (USA) 5.50m
4. Daniel Ryland (USA) 5.50m
5. Julstin Norberg (USA) and Tim Mack (USA) 5.40m
6. Tommy Skipper (USA) 5.40m
7. Bubba McLean (USA) 5.25m
Women
1. Jennifer Stuczynski (USA) 4.55m
2. Jillian Schwartz (USA) 4.55m
3. Tracy O’Hara (USA) 4.45m
4. Mary Sauer (USA) 4.45m
5. Kellie Suttle (USA) 4.45m
6. Becky Holliday (USA) 4.35m
7. April Steiner (USA) 4.35m
8. Dana Buller (CAN) 4.35m
9. Amy Linnen (USA) 4.25m
10. Ebbie Metzinger (USA) 4.15m
11. Beth Spearmon (USA) 4.00m
