Cook Holiday helps GAC pole vaulters (GA)

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http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/main.a ... leID=62860

HOF coach helps GAC pole vaulters

By Brandon Brigman
Staff Writer

Brad Kinser has been coaching track and field for 20 years. But when it comes to teaching an athlete the proper technique in the pole vault he stays out of the way.

"I don't know anything about it," Kinser said. "I get out there and cheer for them."

Kinser has entrusted Greater Atlanta Christian's pole vaulters with track legend Cook Holiday over the last nine years. Holiday has more than 40 years experience coaching track and field, winning six state titles during that span. This summer he was inducted into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

"He's been a big part of our program," Kinser said. "If you look at the success of our program, it really correlates with him working with us. Since he's been with us we've scored a lot of points at state. He's been a huge part of it."

Holiday has coached five state champions and five state runner-ups while at GAC. Claire Goodson was the latest state champ in May, giving Holiday 19 state champions in his career.

Annalise Peters was a three-time state champ under Cook and set two state records. Peters, who is now the No. 2 pole vaulter at the University of Georgia, still holds the Gwinnett County mark.

Holiday's other state champion from GAC, Michael Hughes, is a pole vaulter at Alabama.

"That's always what he's been known for - the pole vault," Kinser said. "He's been invaluable to us."

Holiday, 67, also was inducted into the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Athletic Hall of Fame in February and is a member of the Barrow County Sports Hall of Fame, along with the Winder-Barrow High School Wall of Fame. He's also a member of the Georgia Coaches Track and Field Hall of Fame.

"When you're winning and working your fanny off, you don't think about hall of fames," Holiday said. "This is all real humbling to me."

Holiday was a four-sport star at Wilcox Central and earned an athletic scholarship to play basketball and run track at ABAC in 1960. He later attended the University of Wyoming where he vaulted 14 feet, 7 inches to tie the school record.

Holiday won four state championships at Treutlen in 1969, 1971, 1973 and 1974. He took over the Winder-Barrow program, which had not won a meet the previous four seasons, in 1974. He led the Bulldoggs to state titles 1977 and 1997.

"He was an outstanding coach at Treutlen and Winder," Kinser said. "He knows the vault, but he can coach every event. If a kid needs help with the discus he'll work with them or if they need some advice in the triple jump he can give pointers. It's nice having someone with that kind of experience."

"I grew up on a peanut and cotton farm," Holiday said. "I guess that work ethic spilled over in my coaching. I guess it helped I was a Division I athlete and a state champion."

Holiday has accomplished more in his coaching career than most coaches could ever imagine. But it's his passion for teaching kids that drives him to coaching every season.

"I really enjoying working with the kids every year," Holiday said. "Every year I say it's too long of a drive to GAC. But then one of the kids will tell me I need to come back. I guess I'm just turned on by kids that are focused."