Rutgers vaulter Mike Tucholski dies in car crash

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.nj.com/news/hunterdon/index. ... ml&coll=12

College student dies after car hits tree
Thursday, September 06, 2007
By Renee Kiriluk-Hill
A 21-year-old college student and record-setting pole vaulter from Flemington died on Labor Day after he fell asleep behind the wheel on Route 78 and drove into a tree.

The single-car accident happened shortly after 9 a.m. in Clinton Township. Mike Tucholski Jr. was alone, headed to the new home of his father, Mike, in Washington to help him work on it, when his 1990 Nissan 300ZX drifted off westbound Route 78. He was trapped in the car and pronounced dead at the scene at 10:30 a.m.

State Police believe he fell asleep, saying there was no indication of alcohol being a cause.

Mr. Tucholski had already moved in and decorated his room at the house he planned to share this year with "six of his best friends" at Rutgers University, said his mother, Terry Nylander, on Tuesday. He was entering his junior year as an economics major, said former coach Jeff Tindall.

Planning a career as a stockbroker, the young man had landed an internship at a New York City stock brokerage firm this summer. After making his mark on the East Coast, his plan was to open an exotic car rental agency in California, his mother said.

"Michael was really loved. He had this incredible charm," his mother said. "No matter how much trouble he was in he could make it go away. He just lit up a room."

She said his middle name was "dreams," living life to the fullest and repeatedly terrifying her with his adventures. If a hurricane was headed up the coast, his mom said he'd grab his surfboard and head out to catch a wave. He loved to snowboard, ride dirt bikes, jump bridges. "He loved every extreme sport. He had no fear," she said.

As a child, Mike attended Robert Hunter School and lived in Kingwood Township for one year. He returned to Flemington for middle school and high school at Hunterdon Central. He followed in his father's footsteps, taking up the pole vault. Attending the pole vaulting nationals, he missed his high school graduation. He attended college in California, continuing his pursuit of excellence in pole vaulting under an Olympic coach, before entering Rutgers.

Last month the family vacationed in Hilton Head, where he hit the links with his younger brother, Mitch. "That time was so precious now. He adored his brother; they had a lot of fun together."

Dr. Tindall has coached track and field at Hunterdon Central High School for 20 years. A pole vaulter for 55 of his 65 years, he started coaching Mr. Tucholski as a high school freshman and last saw him three weeks ago at a meet in Ocean City, where his protégé placed second, he said.

He remembered a "boy who developed into a man. He had pulled a lot of pieces of his life together; pole vaulting put him on that path."

Vaulters, Dr. Tindall said, are risk takers, and Mr. Tucholski "wasn't afraid to where the fear would hurt him and rightly afraid when he had to back off. He was always wanting to go higher, learn something new. He really wanted to jump 16 (feet in competition), he had in practice."

At Central, Mike set the school's indoor pole vault record at 14-feet 6-inches. He also shared the county outdoor pole vault record of 15.0 feet with fellow Central vaulter Frank Dumbreski. At Central he won the county and sectional championship with teammate Mike Roberti and broke records at the Hunterdon-Warren Relays with him and with John Contursi.

Pausing to take a deep breath, Dr. Tindall said, "Mike was just a wonderful person. I just haven't been able to sleep or do anything."

Ms. Nylander said she keeps imagining that her son will "just pull up in his hot rod and yell 'Hi family! I'm home, where's the food?' What I wouldn't give to hear that again."

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. in the Flemington United Methodist Church, 116 Main St. Interment will follow in Prospect Hill Cemetery in Flemington.

Calling hours will be tomorrow 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. at the Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home in Flemington.

Visit holcombefisher.com for further information or to send condolences.

[saraf]

Thats terrible to hear. Me and mike were friends and jumped with each other many times. He was a great guy and it breaks my heart to hear such devastating news. My deepest condolences go out to his family.