Archived Updates

JULY 30th - I have recently returned home from a string of competitions overseas that weren't my best performances. My first stop was in Athens Greece where I managed a respectable 18'8" jump which was good enough for 3rd. I didn't particularly vault very well and in fact felt pretty good about jumping 18'8" without being very technically sound. So I proceeded to Paris with a dismal performance of 17'8" after passing to 18'4". At that meet I found myself struggling with motivation. I really felt like the best thing for me at the time was to be home training for Beijing. Unfortunately I think that played into my overall effort on that day which was frustrating. Determined to turn things around I then traveled to Belgium. It was a cold night (58 deg!!) with sporadic rain but I still managed to jump 18'4" and then three close attempts at 18'8".

The overall trip was not very stellar, however I did learn some things along the way. Amazing that after so long in the sport you can still continue to learn new things each time out. Since returning home, my training has been great. I have been working on speed and also rebuilding my strength since my taper for the trials. It's great to be training hard again! Jump practices have been going well as well. I feel like I am closer than ever to jumping higher than 19 feet. I hope that the remaining jump sessions lead to something big at the right time!

I leave for the Olympic Games on the 5th of August and will train in a city outside of Beijing leading up to the Games. I hope to check in after the Olympics with good news! Check back soon.
 

June 30th - A dream is realized! I have just returned from the Olympic Trials in Eugene Oregon and what an amazing experience. An unbelievable competition that rattled the nerves and pushed emotions to the edge. Winds were tricky on the field blowing in all directions making things a little messy, but never the less a great outcome.

Leading up to the trials I managed a second place finish at the PreFontaine Classic at 19 feet. Brad was on top of his game jumping an impressive American Record, so my hat was off to him for that performance. Having jumped 19 feet at Pre I was fairly confident that I was as prepared as possible, but just hoping for a day where everything clicked.

The days leading up to the trials were filled with little sleep and a slightly elevated heart rate which meant there would be a lot of energy for the finals. The quest for a second Olympic birth was under way and when it was all said and done I managed one of my better jumps at 19 feet which was enough to give me the title of US Champion and Olympic Trials WINNER!!

I am super excited to make my second Olympic team and I am jumping better than I ever have. I am looking forward to taking this momentum to the Olympic Games with two amazing athletes, Jeff Hartwig and Brad Walker. I am looking forward to updating more often with results from meets all around the world as I enter the summer competition season. GO USA!!!
 

This site has been pretty boring since there have been no updates recently!! I apologize for that, I'll make sure to check back in more often. So here is the latest and greatest.! It's      May 29th and I have just returned from a great training trip in Arkansas with Earl Bell., but more on that later. Drake Relays were fun. A great competition in a mall on the Wednesday prior to the Relays which resulted in a win at 18'9" for me. Great competition that had a great spectator turn out. The relays were a little more difficult. Pretty significant crosswinds made it a little difficult to jump real high but I managed an 18'4" win and passed to a meet record of 19'1" but to no avail. Soon after I competed at the Modesto Relays resulting in a minor disaster. Had some rhythm issues that became an issue at 18'4". Needless to say I learned my lesson from that one and figure out how to get down the runway more efficiently.

So now back to my Arkansas trip. I have recently moved back to 16 steps which I have not competed from in 3 years. After a few jump sessions it started to become more comfortable, culminating in a great jump session with Earl 4 days agao. I jumped 19 feet and took very positive attempts at 19'3". My speed seems to be better from 16 steps and I am looking forward to dialing that run in more in the coming weeks.

The next stop will be the Prefontaine classic in Eugene, Oregon which will be a good dry run for the Olympic Trials. I am looking forward to taking my new found confidence into that meet and see what happens. Hopefully I will have some good news to report about after the competition. Check back in soon!

Well it's January 26th  and I am sitting in the Denver airport on my way to Sweden. I have 74 different plane changes before I get there and my poles didn't even make my first flight! Oh well what do you do, it is what it is. The Derek and Friends exhibition was great!! We had over 2500 spectators come to watch and I think everyone had a blast. 18'5" was the best we could manage that day but it certainly made up in show what it lacked in performance which in the long run helps the sport more I think. The crowd had a good time and we threw in a little razzle dazzle with a lighting company, drum core and dance team. At least it was different than your average track meet anyway which was fun.

I was exhausted before the competition even started. I was working off of about 4-5 hours of sleep a night but the main problem was just the standing and running around on my legs the days before leading up to the event. That just seemed to zap the whole system. I had about 5-8 jumps in the tank and I had used all of them by the time the bar got to 18'9". No regrets though and I had a great time.

I am off to Sweden for a meet on the 29th and then a quick flight back to New York for the Millrose Games on the 1st. I have a feeling that the traveling will catch up with me on this one, and my new cold is not helping matters. I do hope to sleep quite a bit the next couple of days and if my poles show up, I'll do my best to make a run at something around 19 or even hopefully higher! Until next time!

PS. Check out some of the pics that Jamie took at the meet from the link on the front page!

Jan 8th - Well some interesting news to report. I just returned from the Reno Pole Vault Summit. where I competed on the 4th. I was running from a 12 step run (with a walk step and skip) and managed to jump 5.80 (19' 1/4"). From 12 steps this was a PR from that run. My previous best from 12 was 18'9" so I felt pretty good about Fridays performance. I was really just hoping to jump 18'4" maybe 18'8" if I was really on, so 19 was a great surprise! I think this is a great sign of good things to come. as I appear to be jumping better than I ever have in the past.

I will be sliding back to 14 steps over the next couple of weeks in preparation for the Derek Miles and friends pole vault exhibition. We have a great field of 10 guys that will light up Vermillion South Dakota! Hopefully we'll have a new world lead and a new world record for the 40 year old age group. Check out the link off the front page to get more info on who's coming, guaranteed not to disappoint!

I will check in after the meet on the 19th and hopefully have good news to report, maybe even a new PR if I'm lucky! Any Midwesterners in the area stop by, it will be a blast.
 

Dec 19th - Well this update is long overdue so here goes. The fall has been good. I have been able to train fairly hard and combine solid running workouts with aggressive Olympic Weight training. The Tibia seems to be holding up (knock on wood) and things are progressing well. I just returned from Jonesboro Ar, where from 10 steps I managed to jump 18'2" with good attempts at 18'4"., so I felt good about that.

I will be moving back to 12 steps over the next couple of weeks and will debut that run at the pole vault summit in Reno on January 4th. It should be a fun competition!

Also to all in the Midwest, the Derek and firends pole vault competition is back!!! All the guys are coming this year so be sure to check out the link on the homepage that will take you to the information page about the meet. We are very excited to have the medalists from the Athens Olympics and the American record holder along with many others. Check it out and check the website often as the competition has a high likely hood of being webcasted!! We will get that information posted as soon as we know more.

Hopefully next time I check in there will good heights to report about and a great meet in South Dakota to recap!!

September 20th - One other quick update was that on the 1st of September in Pueblo, Co at a street meet, in the rain, in the dark I managed a 5.70 (18'8") as a follow up to the Olympic Training Center meets which I was pleased about. Hopefully this will give me a renewed motivation to have a great Fall training season. Here's to having a great indoor season starting in January 08!! Check back soon.

Aug 30th - Finally some descent performances to report! It's late August and I spent a couple of weeks in California recently. One meet in northern California in Livermore which was a fantastic facility but didn't have big enough poles surprisingly enough. Results were descent and I was looking forward to heading to the Olympic Training Center for two meets the following week. Tim Mack, Toby Stevenson and some Cali vaulters jumped in San Diego so it made for a fun competition. I managed to jump 5.70 (18'8") (CLICK ON VIDEOS TO SEE THE JUMP) on a first attempt as did Toby. The following meet I jumped 5.75 (18'10") (CLICK on VIDEOS TO SEE THE JUMP) with respectable jumps at 19'. They were both fun meets with a fun discovery. Something clicked during the swing or rockback in which I felt a great deal of rotation thus getting my hips up quickly to receive more of the energy from the pole. Lots of technical mumbo jumbo but the end result will hopefully be higher jumps next year after a solid Fall strength program, with a chance to work on this technique from short approach jumping. My doctor is advising me to end the season and take a final 4-6 months off to allow the leg to heal completely, so in an effort to be as strong as I can for the up and coming Olympic year, I will be shutting this season down early. It's nice to be jumping competitive heights again even if it's at the end of the season. Knowing that I have made a descent comeback from the surgery is a confidence builder for next year. Enjoy the videos and I'll check back soon.  Also watch the camps area for new postings of camp info and dates!! Check in soon.


 

July 30th - Well update time with mixed emotions.  It's the end of July and I have spent the last three weeks passing on meets in Europe with the plan of training specifically for a good showing at the Pan Am Games in Rio which happened on the 28th.  In two separate practice sessions leading up to the meet I jumped 18'8" consecutively with respectable jumps at 19.  I felt ready to go and hopeful that I would be able to bring back a medal for the US.  Upon arrival to Rio it was somewhat chilly and cloudy but never rained.  For three days in a row conditions were favorable.  Of course on the day we jumped it rained all day and never let up.  Not to mention it was in the low 60's to high 50's.  Did I mention head wind also?  Funny part of this story is that the Spanish ESPN channel carried some of the competition and caught me competing in a backwards baseball hat, in sunglasses during a rain storm in the dead of night.  I'm sure those that saw this on TV might have been less than impressed with my appearance however there was method to my madness.  Anyone who knows me knows I use a bit of "product" in my hair which with all the rain was running off my head and into my eyes resulting in an oily burning mess!!   I could barely keep my eyes open and it was a constant flow!  I brought a ball cap just in case my head got cold but actually had to jump in it to keep the goop out of my eyes.  The rain was a fine but drenching mist which made it difficult to keep your eyes open down the runway so there fore the sunglasses at night!  All in all a less than conventional appearance but everything seemed to work well except the vaulting part.  One bail out from sitting too long waiting for my opening height, and two jumps with plenty of height but coming down on the bar was all she wrote for the Pan Am experience with a big fat no height to take home with me.  Definitely a disappointing  competition especially since 17'8" was the winning height.  What do you do I guess.  I will most likely be competing in a few more meets this month in the US and perhaps one more trip overseas but not for sure at the moment.  I am excited that I am back in jumping shape and ready to jump 19 feet again given even fair conditions.  I will be looking to end the season early however to give my leg the final month to month and a half it needs to complete the healing process to ensure a successful fall training phase.  Hopefully very soon I will update you all with a descent meet performance, until then take care!

June 25th - Checking in.  Just finished with the US Championships, and things could have gone better.  Winds were less than desirable and often times a head wind.  I was a little nervous about a strained groin I sustained in Iowa the week before but it didn't effect me all that much during the competition so I was pleased about that.  The shin was still a little sore but not much of a factor either.  So all in all I felt pretty good throughout the meet.  I managed a 4th place finish jumping 18'4" (on a little bit of a blow through - which means not a lot of clearance as the pole was a little too small). I went to the next pole at 18'8" which I think is a little too big for me right now, and just couldn't seem to move the pole very well.  I know that pole would give me enough kick to jump 19', just need the wind conditions to be a little better!  My first jump at 18'8" I had a descent wind but didn't take the jump down the center.  Consequently I just drifted right once off the ground.  The remaining two jumps I was stuck with solid head winds leaving me little chance of making the bar.  Unfortunate set of circumstances but "it was what it was".  So I'm off to pursue the rest of the summer season.  I will most likely compete in the Pan Am games and some other meets in Europe with the hopes of ending the season a little early to make sure I heal completely from the surgery.   It's been two years since I have been able to train the way I need to, so that will be exciting to have a strong Fall in preparation for the Olympic year.   I am fairly confident that I will jump 18'8 or 19' soon, as my confidence is returning with each trip down the runway.  Should be fun over the next month or so.  I'll check in soon, and hopefully have some great performances to share.  Click here to see video of 18'4" at the US Champs.

May 26th - Update time!  Well it's the end of May and the fracture is still somewhat painful so training the way I want is not an option at the moment, but I am however able to pole vault once every 5-6 days, so that's not all bad.  Each trip down the runway I get stronger so that's a step in the right direction.  I am currently in Jonesboro Arkansas training with Earl Bell.  Things are rusty but coming back quickly.  We have had two meets recently which didn't go great.  The meet marks were nothing to write home about but today after the meet I took a couple more practice jumps.  I finally managed to find the right step and mid mark and managed 5.50 (18' 0") easily and then 5.65 (18' 6") with room to spare.  This was a good sign that I am on my way back to respectable performances.  June 2nd I will be heading to New York for the Reebok grand prix where I hope to finish with a 5.70 (18' 8") or better.  Hopefully next time I check in it will be with more good news!   Click here to see video of the 18'6" jump!

May 6th  Another update is in order since it has been a month or so since the last.  It is an exciting time.  As mentioned before the doctors have encouraged me to give it six months after the surgery before going hard, but the call of competition was too enticing to sit on the sidelines any more.  I opened at the Drake relays from 10 steps (5 lefts short approach), which went ok.  I managed 5.36 but stumbled on a bigger pole at 5.50.  The low 18 foot range is a descent jump for me from 10 steps so the meet was somewhat encouraging.  I did however have a terrible practice the following Wednesday where I tried to move back to 12 steps for Modesto.  My run worked out fairly quickly but I had problems getting on my bigger sticks.  Turns out that I wasn't lining up the take off very well, which gave me some focus for he meet in Modesto.  Once I concentrated on the basics of plant mechanics it felt like the I was off to the races.  I managed 5.50 (18') without much problem and then switched to a pole that I have never used before at 18'6 and just didn't hit the take off as solid as I would have liked. Close attempt however.   Long story short had I made that height, it would have been just a couple inches shy of my best from that run.  So all this is promising.  The shin is sore but it should be after 3 jump sessions in 7 days.  Now is the time to take a 4-5 day break heal up and get ready to move back to 14 steps and hopefully higher clearances back in the 5.70 (18'8") range.  Thanks for checking in and I hope to be giving notable performances soon.

April 3rd  Well it's time for an update.  Things are progressing smoothly and steadily.  Before I had the surgery the Doctor and I discussed that it would be a 6 month recovery period so to be doing what I am doing at just a little over three months is great.  So it makes sense that after hard run days there is still a little soreness the next day but only to the touch not when I walk or step.  Within a month or two I am hoping that there will be no pain and training at 100% again! At the moment I am up to 70 - 80 meter strides at 80 percent or so.  My running technique is slowly coming back and actually becoming an improvement, so all that is positive.  I will be picking up the pole very soon which is really exciting and I hope to be having some serious fun at Drake for my season opener!!!  I won't be looking for a 19 foot jump but hopefully a descent showing with no excessive pain the next day!!!  Check back soon.

March 1st  Better and better every day!  Jogging regularly and taking on sprint drills, just trying to shake the cob webs loose!  I hope to be including some explosive type strides into my workouts very soon.  Lifting is going well and the strength is coming back.  Focusing on lots of Olympic type of lifting (power cleans, single leg squats, etc.) which is fun to work on explosive types of things again.  I am planning on a return for the Drake Relays the last weekend of April.  Hopefully things will continue to progress smoothly and quickly!  Until next time. 

February 4th  Rehab is going well.  My range of motion is close to normal with just a little tightness left in the knee.  The surgery involved putting a rod in the the full length of the tibia which will strengthen the entire lower leg to allow the fracture to heal.  The entry for that rod was through the knee.  Everyday things are better so it's a positive time.  Lots of swimming and biking for another week or two.  I have begun lifting (squating, and single leg lunges, etc.) and finally putting some weight on the bar!!  It's tough to watch everyone competing this indoor but looking forward to getting back into the mix this outdoor season.  Don't forget to check out the camps as they will only be offered for another month or so!

January 12  This is the spot for quick updates on the season and meets, so here goes!  It's January and I recently had surgery in December to repair a non-unioned stress fracture.  The doctor said everything went well with the surgery and after 3 weeks things look on track.  I will be training through this indoor season in an effort to have a solid outdoor showing.  Gymnastics, overall strength and core developments will be my focus over the course of the next month along with rehab. 

Additionally, my wife and I have purchased a home in South Dakota for rehabilitation and fall training purposes so it's a season of definite change.  During my rehab over the next month or so I have made myself available to help the pole vault community in the Midwest.  Private jumps sessions and 1 day camp dates are posted in the camps section for those athletes looking to get an early and successful start to the 07 track season.  I am excited to get back to solid form for the coming season since the entire 06 season was a battle with this fracture.  Here's to things coming around!  Check back often!