One-two punch: Mill Creek pole vaulters aim high (GA)

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One-two punch: Mill Creek pole vaulters aim high at state meet
05/10/2007

By Christine Troyke
Staff Writer
christine.troyke@gwinnettdailypost.com

HOSCHTON - Michael Martin was second at state in the pole vault the last two years and, in a round-about way, both times he's been runner-up to a teammate.
In 2005, as a sophomore at Parkview, Martin was second only to fellow Panther Tim Ritchie. Last year, it was Mill Creek's Cameron Cheek edging him in the Class AAAAA finals.
Martin and Cheek weren't teammates then, but they are now and it could easily be another 1-2 finish in Jefferson today.
Martin, who transferred to Mill Creek last summer, and Cheek have been training together all season under the watchful eye of coach Rik Moore. It was Moore who drew Martin to Mill Creek and the association has paid off.
"Mike's jumping better than he did last year," Moore said. "He's made some steady improvement. He's close. At the region championship, he had his three best attempts at 15-6."
Moore isn't quite so thrilled with Cheek's progress this season. Cheek hasn't cleared 16 feet this season and admitted himself it was a mental issue.
"He lost his focus," Moore said. "I think he's vaulting 14 inches under where he should be vaulting.
"He mentally lost focus, for whatever reason, this season and it's cost him a little bit. He's not jumping nearly what he, or I, thought he was capable of jumping at this time last year."
But Moore doesn't believe that will prevent Cheek from winning another state title.
"It shouldn't," Moore said. "He's jumped higher than anybody else (in the state). What I consider a sub-par performance, what he jumped two years ago, is still better than what anybody else has jumped in the state this year."
Both Cheek and Martin, in fact, have a shot at the championship.
"If they jump like they're capable of jumping, their chances are very good," Moore said.
Moore, who has trained seven state pole vaulting champions, said Martin and Cheek aren't in competition with each other, only with themselves and the bar.
It's unique, though, having the state's two best vaulters at the same school, practicing with each other every day.
"Our relationship has adapted a lot over this year," Martin said. "It's gotten to the point where I guess we're more friends, less competitors. We just want each other to do our best. Who wins isn't really an issue."
"Of course," Martin laughed, "most of the time that's him, so maybe that's why it's not an issue."
Cheek said it's been a beneficial situation for both of them.
"It's great," Cheek said. "We are friends and it's very good competition-wise. He's faster and stronger than I am. So in that aspect, when we're not jumping, he pushes me to run faster and run harder and get stronger.
"And when we're vaulting, we can kind of share the things that I have with his technique and his vault. It's a balancing of the equation. We're both giving equal amounts of, I guess, competitive edge to each other."
Martin was caught off guard by Cheek's comments. Not that he didn't agree.
"I'm just surprised that he said that," Martin said with a smile. "Coming to Mill Creek this year, I completely relearned how to vault. I had to break a lot of habits and I'm still trying to break some of those habits.
"Speed and jumping wasn't ever really a problem. It's just once you get into the air, that's half the vault and that's something that I've really had to learn this year. And I'm still struggling with learning."
Cheek feels like he's in better physical, if not mental, shape than he was prior to winning the event at state last year.
"I was a little heavy in my weight at the beginning of this season, but I've got that down," he said. "I'm feeling light on my feet. But it's all mental."
At the Region 7-AAAAA meet two weeks ago, Cheek cleared 15-6 to win the event and equal his own state-best mark for the season. Martin was second at 15 feet even, which ties him for Georgia's third best vault overall this year. Only a vault of 15-1 by Oconee County's Adam Reed is better than that so far.
"It's a great experience being here," Martin said of coming to Mill Creek. "I'm a little disappointed with my season. I know Cameron is too. We feel like we haven't quite done what we should.
"But this is the first time I've trained year-round and when you do that the first time, it takes your body awhile to adjust to that, 345 days of training a year. I think that's why I'm not jumping as high this year. But it definitely puts me on the right step, heading in the direction for where I want to go."