Women vaulters
making giant strides
Bert Rosenthal (AP)
18 January 2000 – New York - Two years ago, Howard Schmertz had to be prodded into including the women's pole vault on the program of the long-established Millrose Games (which takes place this year on February 4).
The event has caught on so quickly that pole vaulter Melissa Mueller will grace the cover of this year's program.
Mueller earned the honour by setting a then-American record of 14 feet, 8 inches (about 4.47 metres) and being voted the outstanding athlete at last year's Millrose Games.
Two days later, she raised the record to 14-9 (4.5 metres) at Boston.
Her original record performance came one year after Stacy Dragila set the U.S. mark of 13-9 (4.19 metres) in the event's introduction into the games.
Dragila missed last year's Millrose Games while recovering from surgery to repair a fractured navicular bone in her foot, but later in the season she won the world outdoor title and equalled the world record, soaring 15-1 (4.60 metres).
Now, the two will compete against each other at this year's Millrose Games, on Feb. 4 in Madison Square Garden, and Schmertz predicted the confrontation "could be the highlight of the meet again.''
Mueller and Dragila also are anxious for the meeting.
"Stacy and I are looking forward to jumping at Millrose,'' said Mueller, who competed in 1998 but was not at full strength because of illness.
"The fans have been wonderful, supporting the women to go to higher and higher heights. It was always a men's event, but now women have put a lot of glamour in it. You feel the energy the fans give you.''
Dragila said, ``I'm excited to compete against Mel. She had problems outdoors last year (because of four ankle sprains). One of us will go for the record.''
While the women's progress has been rapid - Mueller cleared only 10-7 (3.22 metres) in her first competition in January 1996, Dragila vaulted an American indoor record 10-0 (3.05 metres) in 1994 - their heights pale in comparison to men, whose world indoor and outdoor record are just over 20 feet (6.10 metres), both held by Sergey Bubka.
Mueller and Dragila agree that women won't ever reach the heights attained by men, but will take the bar up a couple of more feet.
"Twenty feet is an amazing height,'' Dragila said. "We don't have the strength that men do. Seventeen feet (5.18 metres) is attainable. Twenty feet (6.10 metres), I don't think so.''
Still, with the women's vault making its debut at the Olympics this year and the women continuing to raise the bar rapidly, the event has generated much enthusiasm.
"I didn't think we would get so much publicity so quickly,'' Dragila said. "I thought the guys would hate us because we were taking away from them. A lot of people didn't think we would jump 14 feet (4.27 metres).''
Entry lists for the Air Force Millrose Games, Friday February 4, as furnished by the organisers; subject to change:
MEN -
60m: Ato Bolden, Jon Drummond, Maurice Greene, Tim Harden, Bryan Howard, Brian Lewis
60m H: Mark Crear, Allen Johnson, Reggie Torian, Terrence Trammell, Duane Ross, Larry Wade
500m: Calvin Davis, Mark Everett, Derek Mills, Derrick Adkins, Deon Minor
800m: Johnny Gray, Einars Tupuritis, Rich Kenah, Trinity Townsend, Bryan Woodward
Mile: Paul McMullen, Seneca Lassiter, Richie Boulet, Kevin Sullivan, William Tanui, James
Nolan, Matt Holthaus, Mark Carroll
3000m: Khalid Kairouani, Adam Goucher, Ian Gillespie, Robert Gary, Tom Nohilly, Sammy
Nyamongo, Paul Bitok, Brian Baker, Allen Culpepper, Reuben Reina
HJ: Charles Austin, Henry Patterson, James Nieto, Hollis Conway, Stephan Smith, Staffan
Strand
PV: Nick Hysong, Lawrence Johnson, Pat Manson, Scot Hennig, Jeff Hartwig, Chad Hartwig,
Dean Starkey, Scott Slover, Tye Harvey
WOMEN -
60m: Inger Miller, Kelil White, Cahndra Sturrup, Carlette Guidry, Torri Edwards
60m H: Melissa Morrison, Yolanda McCray, Cheryl Dickey, Sharon Jewel, Anjenetto Kirkland,
Andria King
400m: Kim Graham, Shanelle Porter, Suziann Reid, Maicel Malone, Jearl Miles Clark
800m: Michelle Ave, Joetta Clark-Diggs, Toni Hodgkinson, Hazel Clark, Meredith Valmon,
Carmen Wüstenhagen
Mile: Fran ten Bensel, Regina Jacobs, Sinead Delahunty, Cheri Kenah, Mary Jane Harrelson,
Kathy Fleming, Stephanie Best
HJ: Stacy Ann Grant, Angela Spangler, Natasha Gibson, Gwen Wentland, Tisha Waller, Amy
Acuff
PV: Melissa Mueller, Melissa Price, Kim Becker, Samantha Shepart, Stacy Dragila, Kellie
Suttle, Jill Wittenwyler, Mary Sauer
