Justin Semeyn Article

[rainbowgirl28]

http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGABZ9NHTSD.html

Plant Pole Vaulter Keeps Setting His Sights Higher
By BILL WARD wward@tampatrib.com
Published: Apr 9, 2004

TAMPA - As much as he has enjoyed playing football, baseball and soccer, Plant senior Justin Semeyn says always has been interested in sports that do not interest most kids. Which explains his fascination with possibly the most dangerous event in track and field, the pole vault.

Semeyn can pinpoint when the event first grabbed his interest: as a kid, he would use a PVC pipe to vault over the ditch that runs parallel to Palmira Avenue in South Tampa. When he turned up for track his freshman year at Plant, Semeyn was one of the first to ask if he could try the real thing.

``It [the pole vault] was something [former boys track] Coach [Alan] Bell sometimes had a hard time convincing guys to try, but I really couldn't wait for it,'' Semeyn said. ``I think I liked it from the first time I was vaulting over that ditch.''

These days, Semeyn is going vertical through the air, not horizontal over water. He leads the county with a mark of 14 feet, 4 inches and has come close to eclipsing Chris Woods' school record of 14-7, set in 1990. Semeyn attempted 14-8 in recent meets at Jesuit and Wharton and just missed each time. He believes he has the ability to clear 15 feet, a mark he may need to attain if he hopes to win the Class 3A state title next month in Gainesville.

At last year's state finals, Semeyn set a personal record of 14-0 to finish fifth. Only two vaulters in Class 3A have posted marks better than Semeyn's 14-4 this season (14-8 from a vaulter at Titusville Astronaut and 14-6 from one at Tallahassee Godby).

The fact Semeyn has cleared 14 feet is an accomplishment in itself. He's using a pole that is the right weight for him (155 pounds) but at 14 feet it is a tad short for someone trying to clear 14-6. Panthers coach Shawn Balow has ordered a longer pole through the county, but they are still waiting for it to arrive.

And because of the specialized nature of the event, Semeyn has been doing much of his training on his own. He says he tries to remain in contact with former Wharton boys coach Dave Watson, who vaulted for the University of Florida and works with many of the county's top vaulters in his spare time. But face-to-face meetings with Watson come only once a month ``if I'm lucky,'' Semeyn says.

Competition has been another issue for Semeyn and other area vaulters. The boys pole vault was scrubbed at the Nash Higgins Relays at Leto due to unsafe conditions. And at the county's other mandatory meet for boys, the Griffin/Fraundorfer Relays, coaches agreed beforehand not to stage the vault because not enough schools had the minimum of three athletes in the event.

As a result, the bulk of Semeyn's vaulting has come at smaller meets. In his two major meets - the Steak 'n Shake Invitational and Florida Relays - Semeyn finished second (12-6) and fourth (14-0), respectively.

Semeyn also had to overcome problems last season. He broke a pole to start the season and he says the late arrival of the mandatory wider mats at Plant led to him competing in just two meets before the district finals.

Two days before districts, he stalled at the top of a vault attempt in practice and fell to the asphalt. That left him with a deep heel bruise, and he competed the rest of the season with the foot heavily taped.

Semeyn is optimistic he can reach new heights before his senior season ends. If he can hit 15 feet, he thinks he has a shot at earning a spot on the University of Florida track team as a walk-on. Semeyn has a 5.2 GPA and a 1,370 SAT score and already has been accepted to the school. Now, he says all he has to do is train hard in practice and relax at the meets.

``I've sort of gotten used to the obstacles in the way of getting better in this event, and I really think it's easiest when you're just smiling and having fun out there,'' he says. ``There's so much about it that's mental. If you get stressed, it's not going to be your day. So why not have a good time?''

[TAMPAKINGPV]

old news, but he made 15'2" at my school at the Charles Johnson Invite at King High last year

It was so amazing watching his beautiful form that close, and his pole fling outta the box and his almost go off the back of out mats. he was a badas and did great. Went for 15'4", didnt make, so we dropped it down to 15'2"....he made it....so amazing...

geoff