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Scott has bar-raising time of his life
El Camino senior breaks section record in pole vault at Mt. Carmel Invitational
By Steve Brand
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
March 27, 2005
When El Camino's Derek Scott needed help, he knew right where to turn.
Seeking to set the section record of 16 feet, 8 inches in the pole vault, he stood at the end of the runway and started clapping his hands high above his head.
The Mt. Carmel Invitational crowd that had become mesmerized during his record quest quickly joined in.
"I could feel their energy; I had shivers," said Scott, who would ride the adrenaline boost over 16-8 before missing two very close attempts at 17 feet. "I wouldn't have made 16-8 without them."
Scott actually broke the mark twice, first clearing 16-5 to erase the previous section best of 16-4 by Torrey Pines' Mike Brown en route to winning the 1995 California state title.
Scott took full advantage of Mt. Carmel High's sparkling new all-weather facility. He had plenty of competition as for the first time in section history two individuals scaled 16 feet in the same meet. In fact, for a short time Scott was actually behind La Jolla's Jeff Coover.
Once the bar was raised to 16-5, however, it was all Scott.
On his first attempt, he hit the bar on the way up. Next, he knocked it off on his way down. On the third try, he cleared with room to spare.
Asked what height he wanted next, he inquired about the meet record and when informed it was 16-7 by Huntington Beach Marina's Logan Ogden in 2000, he quickly said "16-8."
If successful, that would push him into the national lead.
Again, the first attempt was a bad miss, the second close and on the third try, he skimmed the bar but left it standing.
"That really was icing on the cake," said Scott, whose previous best was 16-2 in Reno in February.
He then tried 17 feet and came ever so close.
"I pictured myself going 16-5 all week, so when I got there, I was ready. I didn't speak to many people today before the competition because I was so focused.
Technically speaking, he made just one adjustment, moving his top hand up a couple of inches on the 15-foot, 6-inch pole. He needed every inch, too.
Asked how he felt going over the bar, Scott, a senior, smiled.
"I don't even remember," he said. "I could hear the crowd, that's what I remember."
He isn't worried about peaking too soon, either. Not with two other 16-foot vaulters – Coover and Granite Hills' Scott Finley – there to push him even higher. "I've got some bigger poles coming," promised Scott.
For Coover, it was a magical day as he soared over 16 feet and then watched the record tumble twice.
"It's so great to have three of us at 16, because we help each other," Coover said. "When I cleared 16, I was on Derek's pole. When I took the lead at 15-6 and Scott missed, I was concerned – I didn't want to be all alone trying 16."
Not a chance this year.