Jake Elbers sets sights on Dad's pole vault record (MI)

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Jake Elbers sets sights on Dad's pole vault record (MI)

Unread postby PV Official » Fri May 14, 2010 2:08 pm

http://highschoolsports.mlive.com/news/ ... lt-record/

Reese's Jake Elbers sets sights on Dad's pole vault record
Geoff Mott | The Saginaw News, May 14, 2010 10:39 a.m.

REESE — Jake Elbers was born to run with a pole, fling himself 15 feet in the air, clear a bar and free fall onto a padded mat.
The Reese senior pole vaulter is the son of Dave Elbers, a 1978 graduate of Reese High School who moved on to an all-American career at Saginaw Valley State University where the elder Elbers cleared 16 feet.
Jake Elbers broke the school record set in 1995 by P.J. Grzemkowski earlier this season, clearing 15 feet, 3 inches in a meet in early April and taking over the top spot on The News’ area leaderboard in the event. Elbers is hoping to vault himself past the area record of 16 feet, 1⁄2 inch, set by Midland Dow’s Steve Hill in 1993. That would also vault him past his father’s top mark.
“I’ve been waiting since my freshman year to break the school record,” the 18-year-old Jake Elbers said. “I’m trying to (break my dad’s mark) in high school. We just ordered 15-feet-1⁄2-inch poles, so I should be able to go higher.”
Elbers began pole vaulting in seventh grade and has improved every year. He placed fourth at the state meet last year and his 15-3 mark leads the state midway through the season. Elbers has attended camps in Michigan and Indiana to improve his fundamentals and prepare for a college career.
“Jake was real successful in junior high, and his dad and (Reese girls track coach) Foster Findlay have worked real hard with him,” Reese coach Eric Larges said. “Jake runs the 100-meter dash in 11.2 seconds and is one of those naturally gifted athletes. It frustrates my other sprinters.”
Elbers’ main competition in the area comes from one of his teammates, fellow senior Cody Reif. Reif and Unionville-Sebewaing’s Tim Canfield have both cleared 13-6 this season.
The Rockets have taken advantage of the double dip in the vault event, and both Reif and Elbers compete on the 400 relay team.
Reif got talked into trying out for the track team as a freshman. After coaches asked him to pole vault, he became a natural.
“My mom said before I went to that practice that the one thing she couldn’t see me doing was the pole vault,” the 17-year-old Reif said. “(Dave Elbers) and coach Findlay took me step-by-step through it, and I got it down.
“I never thought I’d be able to go this high or do this well in the pole vault. It’s helped having Jake there. I always try to catch him and keep up with him.”
Elbers is working on his timing with the longer poles and may unveil them tonight when Reese travels to the Akron-Fairgrove Invitational. He is looking at continuing his track and field career at South Plains College, a community college in Levelland, Texas that produced 2008 Summer Olympic track sprinters Renny Quow, Shawna Anderson and Shakera Cole.
Reese finished runner-up as a team at the Saginaw Valley State Indoor Meet before winning the Doyle Invitational at Bay City John Glenn and its division at the Vassar Invitational.
While Elbers’ sprinting has helped the Rockets score points, he’s a pole vaulter at heart.
“If I had a choice, I’d just pole vault because I won’t be that great at sprinting” Elbers said. “I’ve gone to some camps and I only live a few miles from the school so I’ve had a lot of practice at pole vaulting. And it’s been nice to work with my dad on it.”

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Re: Jake Elbers sets sights on Dad's pole vault record (MI)

Unread postby grubbs.randall » Tue May 18, 2010 8:12 am

Congratulation to the three of you on your success, I love reading stories like this. :heart:
Jake, Good luck on exceeding your Dads top mark. :D
Best of luck
Randy
Pole Vault; Men invented it, Women will prefect it.


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