Skipper primed for strong season

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Skipper primed for strong season
Vaulter clears 19 feet on only attempt at meet

GARY HOROWITZ
Statesman Journal
March 23, 2006

EUGENE -- The comeback of Tommy Skipper is complete.

A year ago, Skipper missed most of the 2005 outdoor season with a knee injury and failed to qualify for the NCAA championships, missing an opportunity to defend his national title in the pole vault.

But Skipper served notice that he was in for a big year at the NCAA Indoor championships March 10-11 in Fayetteville, Ark. The junior from Sandy cleared 18-6 1/2 to win his second indoor title.

At Saturday's Oregon Preview at Hayward Field, the opening of the outdoor season for Oregon, Skipper broke his own school record by clearing 19 feet.

"Clearing 19 feet took a big monkey off my back," Skipper said. "This was nice, but I also have to move forward so I can be at my best at the end of the season. I'm still doing some things wrong, and I have to keep perfecting my jumps. I want to become a consistent 19-foot vaulter, and I hope some day to start every meet at 19 feet."

Skipper waited about two hours while the rest of the 14-man field attempted heights ranging from 14-9 to 17-2 3/4. He opened at 19 feet and cleared it on his first attempt. It would be Skipper's only jump of the meet, and he became the only collegiate to post a 19-foot pole vault this season.

Only six college athletes have cleared 19 feet, and Skipper was the first since 1998. The NCAA record of 19-7 1/2 was set by Lawrence Johnson of Tennessee in 1996. Sergey Bubka of Ukraine set the world record of 20-1 3/4 in 1994.

"I couldn't have asked for better conditions," Skipper said. "When I got here initially I was a little concerned that there might be a side or headwind, which would make it hard to make (19 feet) on the first try. But it was great when I jumped."

Skipper eclipsed his own Pac-10 and regional record of 18-10 1/4 set at the 2004 NCAA West regional.

"One of my goals this season was to start coming in a little higher, maybe 18-6, but I never thought about that high of an opening height," Skipper said.

"Once I was out there on the runway, the height didn't bother me and I did everything exactly the same with my technique."

[russvault]

POLE VAULT
5.98 19-7 1/2 ...........Lawrence Johnson (Tn) 96
5.90 19-4 1/4 ................Jacob Davis (Tx) 98
5.86 19-2 3/4 ................Bill Payne (Bay) 91
5.85 19-2 1/4 .................Joe Dial (OkSt) 85
5.82i 19-1.................Istv‡n Bagyula' (GM) 92
5.80 19-1/4..................Russ Buller (LSU) 99
.........................Jim Davis (Fres) 00
i ........................Brad Walker (Wa) 03
5.77 18-11..................Doug Fraley (Fres) 86
5.75 18-10 1/4 .............Brad Pursley (ACU) 83
Marks made outside collegiate season:
5.92 19-5.............................Bagyula' 91
5.76 18-10 1/2............Jeff Buckingham (Ks) 83
5.75 18-10 1/4..................Dave Volz (In) 82