Bi-City well represented in pole vault competition (GA)

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http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/229/story/32057.html

Bi-City well represented in pole vault competition
BY ROBERT SPRUCK - Staff Writer
Brookstone coach Chico Lynch knows it takes someone that is daring and a little reckless.

It's not a typical track and field event that only requires pure speed, power and athleticism. Although pole vaulting entails those elements to be successful, it also demands a little something else.

"If they are willing to turn upside at 12 feet, they have a chance," Lynch said. "It takes a lot of courage to do that. Not everyone is willing to put their body in that position."

The Bi-City will be well represented in pole vaulting during the Georgia High School Association boys state track and field meet, which begins today in Jefferson, Ga.

Brookstone's Ben Reames and Jason Elliston will compete in Class A, while Columbus' Cyrus Vafadari will take part in the AAA competition.

For those few seconds after clearing the bar, it's a little scary -- even for those experienced vaulters -- as he or she plummets to the pit.

"It sounds ironic but I try not to think while I'm in the air," said Vafadari, who finished fifth with a vault of 13 feet in last year's state meet. "If you start to think then you start to worry. When you worry you can plant wrong, and it goes downhill from there. It can be a little scary."

Despite that feeling, he continues to attempt to clear the bar at higher heights. His best vault this season was 13-6, and he hopes to clear 14-0 during today's competition.

Vafadari's expectations are even bigger for next year. He aspires to vault 15-0, which is the national elite cutoff for high school pole vaulters. One of his biggest concerns is a slow start.

"It's really scary if you don't do well and miss your first two attempts,"Vafadari said. "If you miss the next one then you get nothing at all."

Having a background in gymnastics, the twisting and turning wasn't a hard adjustment for him. Lynch, who coached Vafadari as a freshman before he transferred to Columbus, teaches some drills that help prepare the athletes to fall.

He also uses a lot of quick repetitions that focus on getting down the track and also planting the pole in the box.

Elliston, like Vafadari, should finish in the top five. He finished sixth last season and enters with the fourth-best vault (11-0) this season.

But they won't be the only Bi-City athletes that have the opportunity to do well this weekend. Columbus High's Charlie Sparks, who won the individual championship in cross-country, has the top time in the 3,200 meters.

Sparks' seed time of 9 minutes, 49 seconds is 8 seconds faster than everyone else in the AAA competition.

Shaw's Anton Graphenreed has the top time heading into the 400 and the third fastest time in any classification this season. He ran a 47.34 to win the Region 2-AAA title.

Just like those running events, pole vaulting takes a lot of practice to improve. Lynch said the learning curve -- like in other sports -- will depend on the particular athlete.

"It depends on the person and how fast he or she is able to understand the concepts,"Lynch said. "After that is comes down to how much they are willing to sacrifice their body."

That is rarely a problem in an event that takes place more than 10 feet off the ground.