Record turnout of vaulters in Reno

From Olympic medalists to promising high school talents, National Pole Vault Summit showcases best in competition, instruction and education the sport has to offer

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Stacy Dragila has always been a trailblazer when it comes to pole vaulting, both on and off the runway.

Dragila left a remarkable impression on a group of aspiring vaulters in one of her first appearances at the annual UCS Spirit National Pole Vault Summit in Reno during the mid-1990s when she was listening to keynote speaker and event director Bob Fraley.

"He was on his soapbox talking about the women and how amazing they were coming along in the sport and it was like we were at church and he was preaching to my soul and I was just in it," Dragila said. "Then he looked at all of us and said, 'Who wants to be an Olympian in this room?' and immediately I stood up. And then I looked around and I was the only one standing up and I was so embarrassed. But you know what, I was so convinced that if I worked hard, I could potentially be there. That was the moment where it was like, 'Stacy, you stood up in front of all these people, so you better do it.'

"I didn't know if he wanted us to raise our hands, but I was just in the moment and so full of it and I'm like 'I want to be there.' But for me, from that point, I was all in."

Dragila, who now coaches in Boise, Idaho, still laughs about her reaction more than two decades later, looking back on a career that included a combined 17 national titles, a gold medal at the first World Indoor Championships in 1997 followed by wins at three consecutive outdoor global finals at the 1999 and 2001 World Championships and 2000 Sydney Olympics.

But just like she has remained a fixture in the sport following her retirement from competition as a mentor for young vaulters, the same energy and spirit and hope and inspiration present in Fraley's words then are still what brings Dragila and thousands of athletes and coaches back to Reno every January for the three-day event.

According to event co-director Brian Yokoyama, the Men’s and Women’s National Chair for USATF High Performance and Development, a record number of more than 3,000 signups are expected to brave Reno's inclement weather to attend Friday and Saturday. Like Fraley, Steve Chappell has also been vital in the growth and sustained success of the National Pole Vault Summit.

"I'm privileged to be part of it," Dragila said. "Even though I'm retired, I'm still excited about coming to the Summit and seeing everybody and talking about old times and helping the kids grow and mentor them. If we can give them some words of advice to help them change their technique to be that much better, that's what it's about."

Fraley, who retired in 2008 as the director of track and field at Fresno State following 28 years coaching the Bulldogs, started the National Pole Vault Summit in 1989 in Fresno and is referred to by many in the sport as "The Godfather" for spearheading the development of the event.

Created as a "grassroots developmental clinic established and continued to promote safety and encourage the advancement of pole vaulting at all levels through constant education," according to the event's Web site, the National Pole Vault Summit moved in 1992 and the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center will again be the host venue for athletes ranging from high school novices to Olympic medalists.

"I have a lot of respect for Bob and he's been part of the sport for so long. He could be sitting on some beautiful beach, but he chooses to be here every year giving every ounce of his energy to continue to help promote the sport," Dragila said. "He's just a very passionate person and as a pole vault community, we’re very blessed to have somebody who fought for us to keep our sport alive, among other people. When things were getting rough and people were talking about banning our sport because it was too dangerous, he said, 'nonsense.' He said we don't have proper coaching everywhere, so we need to coach our coaches better and that's really been our mission the past 10 years."

The event, which kicked off Thursday with the National Pole Vault Summit Hall of Fame induction ceremony, offers instruction and education for athletes, coaches and parents, in addition to the unique opportunity for younger vaulters to interact in roundtable discussions with some of the world's elite athletes and mentors.

"It's an amazing opportunity for the kids to connect with the elite athletes and that's something we're very proud of," Yokoyama said. "Where else do you have the best vaulters in the world and have an opportunity to not only rub elbows with the stars, but take pictures and sign autographs? Plus, you have so many geniuses of the sport sharing information and knowledge. We respect the history of this sport and it's because of Bob Fraley that we can continue to do this every year. He wanted a place where everyone could come and share ideas, friendship and education and that's why we call it a summit."

One of the biggest highlights of the weekend is the global elite competition Friday, which this year includes Olympic silver medalist and American outdoor record holder Sandi Morris leading a group of several vaulters with Olympic or World Championship experience.

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Katerina Stefanidi, a former Stanford standout who represents Greece, is also attending the event but is not scheduled to compete.

"It's always great to see some of the stars, but you never know who is going to come out of the woodwork. Every year another person steps up and makes their presence known not just to the U.S., but to the world," Yokoyama said. "It's always great to watch the main event and to feel the energy and the excitement because you have so many people who love track and field and who love pole vaulting."

One of those individuals who has great loyalty and passion for the sport is Victory Athletics Pole Vault club coach BJ Vandrovec, who is on the National Pole Vault Summit staff.

Vandrovec has been attending the event for 18 years, first as an athlete at Fountain Valley High in California, then throughout his collegiate career at Golden West College, Michigan State and Cal State Fullerton, and following his graduation as a coach at both Concordia University in Irvine and back at Fullerton.

"It's unbelievable that you can share an elevator (at the hotel) with a first-time vaulter and an Olympic gold medalist," Vandrovec said. "Every year, from the kids to the coaches, there is so much excitement and the energy is incredible. It was amazing growing up watching so many great American vaulters and then having the opportunity to meet them and see them in person has been really neat. Looking up at 50 or 60 Olympians on stage at the Hall of Fame ceremony is pretty overwhelming."

Vandrovec currently coaches one of the sport's rising young stars in Anaheim Canyon CA senior Rachel Baxter, who has signed with Virginia Tech. Baxter set the California outdoor state record last season by clearing 14-3 and has her sights set on challenging both the indoor and outdoor national high school records this year.

Baxter will be the marquee high school athlete competing Saturday in Reno in the first of three indoor meets on her winter schedule, including trips to Idaho and Washington. Armand Duplantis of Lafayette LA, who cleared a national boys indoor record 18-5 on Jan. 7 at the LSU Invitational, won the boys high school competition last year but was unable to return because of a family wedding.

Baxter was given the opportunity to be included in the meetings and discussions with the elite athletes, offering her a perspective of what it takes to not only set, but achieve higher goals and how to enjoy longevity in the sport.

"It's a little intimidating sitting in a room with all elites, but it was really cool to be able to hear what they had to say and compare it with some of the experiences I've had and see some of the areas I can improve on in the future," Baxter said. "Having the role models and being able to watch them is really cool because it reminds me how much there is still to come. Being able to talk with them here is helpful because it allows us to ask them things we might be struggling with or are just curious about and this event allows us the opportunity to do that.

"Having the opportunity to watch the elites jump and be able to ask them questions has been really helpful in some of the things I do."

For all the coaches and elite athletes attending the event, it's an opportunity for them to give back to the track and field community and to pay their knowledge and experiences forward to the next group of vaulters ready to carry the sport into the future.

"It's all about fostering the youth and leading the generation behind you," Vandrovec said. "And the cool thing is we all embrace it because here it's about community, brotherhood, sisterhood and friendship. We’re all here for the same purpose."

Dragila, an Idaho State gradaute, also recalls some of her first meetings with the sport's elite athletes in Reno, when her 10-foot vault in 1994 was recognized as an American record and when women's pole vaulting was still only a demonstration sport at the 1996 Olympic Trials.

It was after hearing their inspirational stories and personal journeys that she became even more motivated to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Games and bring home the sport's first Olympic women's gold medal.

"It meant a lot getting to know who they really were and not just for what they accomplished on the track. These were normal people who just had hard-working, dedicated mindsets and if I could be like that, then I'm going to fight my hardest to make an Olympic team and get to be there," Dragila said. "We have so many gracious elite athletes right now who are giving of their time and after talking to them, my kids come home jazzed and they are so ready for their seasons.

"They know now that those people are real and they worked hard to get to those places, and they respect that. I think that gives them hope and desire to train harder to achieve whatever their ultimate goal is and that's what is really fun for me to see."

For Baxter, whether it's interacting with her Victory Athletics club teammates or Olympic medalists, just being back in Reno to celebrate her love of the sport matters more than the pursuit of any records.

"This is my third Pole Vault Summit and I enjoy it more each time," Baxter said. "To have this many people meet in one area and do the same thing you love to do is amazing."

Dragila believes the melting pot of ability, knowledge and personality is what sets the National Pole Vault Summit apart from other prestigious events in the sport.

"That’s why we’re that different of a breed of a person. It's that fraternity where you get to see everyone once a year before we all go our separate ways, we get to watch some great vaulting and help kids out and that's why we come," Dragila said. "I think other events could pull this off if they chose to do it, but we just have some great people in our leadership to really push it and to make it grow to what it is. It's been a lot of fun for me to be in the sport for so long in so many different capacities to really appreciate why this event is so special."