Vaulters see Desert Vista coach as their Guy (AZ)

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http://www.azcentral.com/sports/preps/s ... k0403.html

Vaulters see DV coach as their Guy
by Richard Obert - Apr. 6, 2009 03:22 PM
The Arizona Republic
The army of track and field athletes running around Desert Vista's football field is staggering.

There are upwards of 300 boys and girls combined.

Then head underneath the bleachers, where Jeff Guy is meeting his pole vaulters. There are 40.

Some schools are lucky to have that many out for the entire track and field program.

But these boys and girls have seen what Guy has done with so many who have vaulted before them:


• Dutch and Jaci Perryman were Guy's first state pole-vaulting champions at Desert Vista when Guy arrived this decade. They are excelling at the University of Arizona, where Dutch is aiming at 18 feet and Jaci looking to reach 13 feet, 6 inches.


• Katie Morgan, the last of Guy's star vaulters at Corona del Sol before he left for Desert Vista, was the NCAA outdoor champion for California last year.


• Shea Kearney is vaulting for Rice.

Next in line looking to go higher than any of them at Desert Vista are senior Alec Hsu and junior Shayla Simpson.

They both lead the state after Saturday's performances at the Chandler Rotary Invitational: Hsu at 16 feet, Simpson at 12-6.

Hsu is hoping to crack the top five for all-time vaults in the state.

He would have to go 6 inches higher. That is doable, he believes.

Simpson would like to break Jaci Perryman's school record of 12-9 1/2. Also doable - this year - she feels.

Those visions are part of the process aided by the two's mental-toughness coach, Scottsdale's Alison Arnold, who has worked on the mental part of the game with elite figure skaters and gymnasts.

It has helped Simpson, who through visualization this year was finally able to break a personal record of 12 feet set her freshman year when expectations began to rise.

"She knew that I needed a lot of help on my mental game, work on visualization and getting confident again," Simpson said. "I lost a lot of confidence in myself when I wasn't thinking higher bar."

Hsu uses visualization as well, picturing the perfect vault before he gets on the runway.

"I'm working on getting a more stable routine," he said.

They're two of the school's most athletic pupils.

Simpson is a cut 5 feet 6 1/2, 135 pounds. Hsu, who left soccer but found a void in place kicking for the Desert Vista football team the past two seasons, is 6-2, 178.

Hsu will join Kearney next year at Rice on a track scholarship.

Simpson feels unlimited in what she can accomplish.

"You can have all the physical ability in the world to do it, but if you're not mentally prepared to stick the pole in the box and get up there . . . "

Hsu, who has a 3.96 grade-point average, also competes in the 110-meter high hurdles, so he needs to find balance.

"I try to do the same thing (with visualization)," Hsu said.

Guy, who approaches every vaulter differently because of their personality makeups vary, said the two have acquired trust in knowing when to change poles, when to find newer heights.

He doesn't put a height goal on Simpson, but he does for Hsu.

The state record is 17-4 set by former Arizona State star and Olympic gold medalist Nick Hysong at Tolleson.

Hsu recently started seeing Arnold for visualization.

"Mainly it doesn't allow distractions," Guy said.

Hsu, like Simpson, can see what had been dreams more clearly now.