http://www.projo.com/highschool/content ... 1745d.html
All-State pole vaulter has his sights set high
01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, November 16, 2004
BY MANNY CORREIRA
Special to The Journal
BARRINGTON -- Bradley Holtz will go to any height to attain his goal.
Barrington High School's All-State pole vaulter will do whatever it takes to make himself a better athlete -- and that includes working out in his back yard in a makeshift pit as part of his training regimen.
Although Holtz, son of Ira and Lauren Holtz of Alfred Drowne Road, can't compete in the winter because the pole vault isn't an event in the high school indoor track season, he keeps working in preparation for the outdoor season, which holds a lot of promise for this quiet and reserved 17-year-old.
Said Barrington High boys' track and field coach William C. Barrass, "Although physically gifted and well-suited for his event, Bradley's achievements in the pole vault are directly attributable to the effort and hard work that he puts into his sport on a daily basis. Although clearly he is already an expert at his sport, Bradley is a truly dedicated, goal-driven athlete who accepts instruction and is willing to learn as much as he can about the technical aspect of his sport in order to reach the next level."
Barrass said Holtz may be in a class by himself.
"Over the past nine seasons I have coached, I have not seen another vaulter with Bradley's ability and dedication," he said. "Additionally, Bradley's good character and his leadership on the field earned him the role of captain on his team this season. He has been a great role model for our younger vaulters, leading his teammates toward remarkable improvement in their sport this season. The way he's going, he's going to keep going up. The sky's no limit for him."
During interscholastic league competition, Holtz was crowned both Rhode Island state champion (14 feet, 5 inches) and New England Regional champion as a junior. In July, Brad vaulted a personal best 15 feet, 6 inches at the New England Regional Pole Vault Championships.
In addition, Holtz was named outstanding field performer at the Schomp Invitational meet at Chariho High School and the Bishop Hendricken Invitational, as well as winning at the Bay State Games (setting a meet record height of 15 feet), and the Junior Olympics Region I Championship (14 feet, 7 3/4 inches).
The 6-foot-3, 170-pound Holtz has already decided to go to college at the University of Tennessee.
"Bradley always wanted to go to a school down South," said Ira Holtz. "He has a great deal of potential and upside."
Besides Tennessee, Holtz was wooed by the likes of the University of Florida, Duke, Miami, the University of Arizona, Texas Tech, University of Pennsylvania, Penn State, LSU and North Carolina.
"He wanted to compete against the best competition," said Ira Holtz, "and he'll get that opportunity at Tennessee."
Lauren Holtz is also delighted at her son's college choice next year.
"I'm from Virginia, and Tennessee is right next door to my family," she beamed. "I couldn't be happier and it'll give our family a chance to visit him often."
Brad Holtz did his homework when making his college selection.
"The University of Tennessee has an incredible record of performance in the pole vault," he explained. "I'm excited about going there. I'm excited about being coached by Bill Webb and Jim Bemiller. They are exceptional college coaches."
But first things first. Holtz will continue prepping for the upcoming Barrington High outdoor track season. He's had a chance to jump indoors at various invitationals, and will compete for a national championship this year. He's signed up for a pole vault summit in Reno, Nev., from Jan. 20 to 22.
Once spring rolls around, Brad will begin his quest for a number of individual and state high school records, including a jump of 15 feet, 8 inches, which is the New England record.
"I'd really like to beat that record," said Holtz, who is tied for fourthin national pole vault rankings.
Former Olympic and world record-holder Sergey Bubka, of Russia, has always been the pole vaulter Brad Holtz has admired over the years.
"He's the man," he said. "Bubka is the perfect pole vaulter. Everyone else tries to emulate him."
Holtz's introduction to pole vaulting came early in his life.
"I saw it in the Olympics a long time ago," he said, "and I always wanted to try it someday. My interest started as a freshman in high school. I had played lacrosse for half a season and some football, and then I switched to track. Track is all I do now."
"Brad is incredibly dedicated to this sport," said Ira Holtz. "He weight trains and studies a lot of pole vault videos. He also attends pole vault camps during the summer. He's always looking for more opportunities to learn more about the sport. He always wants to improve."
The Holtz's back yard pit is another intriguing twist to the story.
"It used to be a practice pit at Holy Cross and is 20 years old," said Ira Holtz. "He used it a lot his first year. He also worked out with a number of coaches. Brad still uses the pit a lot during the summer."
"It's a very technical sport," says his father. "Brad has to keep working hard with his coaches, who have always been supportive."
They include Brad Bowery, the Brown University star pole vaulter who was hired as an assistant coach at Barrington High. He's also worked with coaches Bill Falk, Mark Strawderman, John Hoogasian and Earl Bell at training camps.
Said Bowery, "Bradley has everything it takes to be one of the top vaulters in the country. He's well coordinated and has good size and technique. Right now, he's one of the best technical vaulters in the region. He's about two feet better than anyone else. The only thing holding him back is strength and speed, but that will come in time. If he stays healthy, he should blow away the state record."
'An Eagle Scout, Bradley intends to fly higher than any other schoolboy in state history.
"By the end of my senior year, I intend to consistently jump higher than 16 feet," he said. "No Rhode Islander has ever vaulted more than 14 feet, 10 inches in high school competition, and the New England record stands at 15 feet, 8 inches, so next year, I will have my sights set on both."
