The air up there: Pole-vaulting dreams (MI)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps ... /705100344

The air up there: Pole-vaulting dreams
Jeff Karzen
The Enquirer

Lots of kids grow up wanting to play basketball, baseball, football or soccer.

Even more love to compete in hockey, swimming, golf and tennis.

But pole vaulting?

The unique arm of track and field doesn't exactly have the glamour appeal of future dollars and fame.

Still, stop by a local track meet and there in a secluded corner, teenage athletes are running down a slab of asphalt (called an approach), holding 11-to-14-foot poles that they leverage to propel them off the ground and over a bar.

What, in the name of Evel Knievel, would make someone want to do this?

"I just love flying through the air," said Marshall senior Ashley Smith, one of the best pole vaulters in the area.

And there it is.

The most critical attribute a pole vaulter must possess is fearlessness. The youthful exuberance of wanting to experience the most daunting rides at Cedar Point; that's a future pole vaulter.

"You can't be afraid to put it all out there," said Lakeview coach Becky Turbin, "because when you're up on that stick, sometimes it gets a little frightening."

Ron Bensborn has been a track and field coach for 36 years at Battle Creek Central. After spending many of those years as BCC's head coach, Bensborn is currently an assistant and he's also the resident expert when it comes to pole vaulting.

Bensborn said he generally targets gymnasts or divers to be a pole vaulter, because those other sports deal with fearlessness and being above the ground.

"Once you're off the ground, you have to have control of your body," Bensborn said. "For some kids, it's a whole new experience."

With decades of experience to draw upon, Bensborn believes the best way to teach the unique skill is by progressive-type coaching. It starts with simply getting comfortable on the mat, where one lands after clearing the bar.

Then, BCC's fledgling vaulters are introduced to the pole, usually on the track's grass infield. From there, they are sent down the runway, and finally, after all the above steps have been taken, the athletes are taught how to vault themselves over the bar.

"You have to get upside-down," Bensborn said.

"That's the hardest part for a beginner. You're not going to get upside-down in your first year. Once they do that, then they can clear legitimate heights. It does become fun at that point."

What isn't so fun for vaulters is the sometimes lengthy wait they must endure during large meets. There's often several levels of qualifying and some vaulters also run in track events, so the vaulting can be put on hold for long stretches of time while other events take place.

At the SMAC League meet this week at Lakeview High School, vaulters passed the time resting under umbrellas or tent-like set-ups that shaded them from the hot sun.

It's all part of being part of track and field's most unique event.

Lakeview junior Ceci Escobar used to compete in volleyball and competitive cheer. Then, almost out of the blue, she decided last year to give pole vaulting a try.

"It was just something to do and then I discovered my little hidden talent," Escobar said. "It's not really scary. It's like a natural thing ... it just comes to you."

Escobar was clearing 7 feet, 6 inches when she started â€â€