http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs. ... /907150341Pole-vault contest pits region's finest
Three Rivers Festival event is Saturday on Fourth Street.
By Blake Sebring
bsebring@news-sentinel.comThe X-Games will meet the Olympics in a Fort Wayne specialty.
The fifth annual Three Rivers Festival Street Vault, a pole-vaulting competition, will take place on Fourth Street between Clinton and Spy Run starting at 9 a.m. Saturday and continue until the final miss.
Last year, thanks to a little rain delay, the event lasted until 8 p.m.
Ever since Northrop’s Gary Hunter won the title in 1974 followed by teammate Brian Kimball in 1975 and 1976 and Snider’s Ron Vernasco in 1978, Fort Wayne has dominated the pole vault in the state meet. Other local state title holders include Leo’s Dale Gerke in 1983, East Noble’s Phil Yuska in 1984, North Side’s Bob Shank in 1987, Northrop’s Jo’l Gerardot in 1997 and 1998, Bishop Dwenger’s Ryan Schipper in 2003, Northrop’s James Martzall in 2004, Homestead’s Jonathan Hall in 2006, and Northrop’s Corey Shank the last three years. When the girls added the event in 2003, Homestead’s Katie Veith won state titles in 2004, 2006 and 2008, losing only to Northrop’s Brianna Neumann in 2005. That doesn’t include other local vaulters who finished in the top three at the state meet.
Fort Wayne’s history is only part of the reason event sponsor Paul Babits decided to open Vault High Athletics, 1229 Pion Road, in 2004. He was transferred to Fort Wayne from Michigan in 2001 and met his wife Brenda, a graphic artist. Paul loved pole vaulting, soon taught Brenda, and now they work with some of Fort Wayne’s best vaulters.
They have helped attract some of the country’s best vaulters to compete here this weekend. The list includes Hunter, a world record holder in his masters age division; current state champion Ellie McCardwell from Pendleton Heights; and Bishop Dwenger grads Matt and Kevin Schipper, who now compete at Notre Dame. Ohio state record holder Heath Nickles and Kentucky state champ Michael Seaman will also compete. Between 50 and 100 vaulters are expected to compete.
The meet record is 17-6 1/2 , set by Matt Fairbanks of Michigan State. Matt Schipper won the elite men’s title last year with 17-3. Katie Shaw, the Big Ten runner-up from Michigan State, won the elite women’s division with a 12-0 height.