Hortonville's Johnsons raising bar (WI)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 60664/1892

Dan VanderPas: Hortonville's Johnsons raising bar

Sports have a unique way of drawing families together in Wisconsin, whether it's fishing, hunting, running, snowmobiling, camping, baseball or softball.


It's also happening in a special way in high school pole vaulting this year, and Hortonville High School has a fine example of a refreshing father-son relationship.


By day, Mike Johnson is a software specialist at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. After work, he hurries to the track to volunteer his time to coach his son Jared Johnson and other strong Polar Bears vaulters.


Johnson takes his coaching duties seriously. Hortonville track coach Kevin Sours appreciates what he is doing to help his son, as well as Luke Rynish and Nick Ninneman, steadily improve.


"Our program has really grown. We have over 100 kids," Sours said. "We need someone to coach and supervise vaulters every day. Mike Johnson has really got involved. He knows vaulting. He's a positive influence."


Hortonville is setting the pace among area schools in vaulting. Jared has the area's top height with 13 feet, 6 inches. He reached it during the Oshkosh Titan Invitational. Ninneman hit 12-6 a couple of times.


With a dad and his son in the program, the event is about a lot more than reaching new heights. The bond the two have achieved transcends statistics.


"I think pole vaulting gives us something to talk about," Jared said. "Besides, we spend a lot of time together in track. I like having my dad as coach. He takes pictures of our jumps, and we all go over and over them. He helps us big time."


The Johnson family's ties to pole-vaulting go even deeper. Mike Johnson did some vaulting before graduating from Clintonville in 1982. His brother, Jeff Johnson of Clintonville, has a son, Zach Johnson, who is an outstanding vaulter.


Zach won the Division 2 state championship for the Truckers in 2003 with a vault of 14-6. He now is at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where he has cleared a school-record 17 feet.


"I don't know if Jared can ever reach what Zach has," coach Johnson said. "Zach has a lot going for him. Zach was a little faster in high school and a little taller. He has good form. That's the biggest area Jared has to work on."


With Jared and his dad working together, and with a strong field of Hortonville vaulters pushing and encouraging each other, you have to believe that the sky is the limit.

[highhopes]

I saw Jared vault 13'6" at the Titan Invitational and I think he PRed by 6" that day. In January I think he was only getting about 12'6"