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Top vaulters to take to the street Saturday
By Staff Reports
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 12:58 PM PDT
Pole vaulters will take to the street again in downtown Coos Bay on Saturday for the second-annual Coos Bay Street Vault.
The competition will take place during the annual Blackberry Arts Festival and include competitions for men and women in youth, open and masters divisions.
The event starts at 10 a.m. on Fourth Street near its intersection with Commercial Avenue.
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People expected to compete include several state and national age-group champions, as well as some of the top masters vaulters in the world. The entry fee is $20 per competitor and the athletes also must bring their own poles.
Local girls in the competition include Marshfield student Moriah Roberge, who finished second at the Class 5A state meet and won the Junior Olympics state title, and 15-year-old Sammie Clark of North Bend, who was second in the Class 4A state meet. Roberge has a career-best mark of 11 feet, 9 inches, while Clark has cleared 10-3. Greg Eckes, a 17-year-old Marshfield student who finished second at state and has a career best of 15-6 also will compete.
Other youths who have entered the meet include Newport’s Austin Ouderkirk, a four-time national champion and three-time state champion with a career best of 16 feet; John Ellingson, a 17-year-old Silverton student who has cleared 15-6; and 17-year-old Lindsay Beard of South Eugene, who has a best of 12-6.
Among the older competitors are 61-year-old John Altendorf of Corvallis, who has the indoor/outdoor world record for his age group at 13-11⁄2 and was the 2007 Age Group Masters Athlete of the Year; and Dan West of Eugene, a 52-year-old vaulter who was the 2005 indoor national champion in the 50-54 division and won a bronze medal at the 2002 Nike World Games in the 45-49 age group. West’s recent best is 12-9. Dennis Phillips, a 62-year-old vaulter who is Altendorf’s main rival, also is expected to compete.
The event is sponsored by the Pre Vault Club.
Pole vault camp
The Pre Vault Club will follow the street vault with its first pole vault camp from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday at Pete Susick Stadium on the Marshfield campus.
Camp Director Stan Solomon, who has coached eight pole vault state champions and numerous other state placers, will put the vaulters through all of the Pirates’ vault drills.
The camp has a $20 registration fee for athletes, while coaches can participate for free. Vaulters should bring their own poles.
For more information, those interested can call Solomon at 267-7114.
pv161 and vaultwest are seen in the video also (but not vaulting unfortunately).
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