Day 3: Walker wins strange pole vault, by Larry Eder

Brad Walker won the US championships in a very tactical game of competition…..
Photo by Photorun.net.

Men’s Pole Vault
The pole vault is the wild, wild west of track & field. Athleticism plus the strategy of chess, or perhaps, today, five card stud. Walker, Scott, Miles and Stevenson all cleared 5.75m or 18-10.25. It was their attempts and failures up to that put three of the four on the Olympic team.
In the end, Brad Walker, won, as it took him two clearances and no misses to get to 5.75m. Jeremy Scott had more clearances on less attempts than Derek Miles. Toby Stevenson, the helmeted one, just had some back luck, with more attempts than Miles and Scott.
Brad Walker, the American record holder, Hayward record holder, defending World champion, won on Saturday. Here is how he put the event i perspective:
“I came in knowing I had the bye to the Worlds being the defending World Champion so I wasn’t pressed, I wasn’t stressed. I thought everyone would clear 5.70 but I thought I had a good chance to win at 5.75.”
“I was coming off a short approach so I wasn’t close to being at 100-percent of what I can actually jump. I know I can jump significantly higher but I didn’t want to push the approach.”
“I think my next meet will probably be in London, then possible Monaco and one or two other meets to get ready for the World Championships.
Men Pole Vault
==========================================================================
Bar Progressions: 5.40/5.55/5.65/5.70/5.75/5.80 + 5 cm
Five alive
World: W 6.14m 7/31/1994 Sergey Bubka, UKR
American: A 6.04m 6/8/2008 Brad Walker, Nike
Hayward: S 6.04m 2008 Brad Walker, USA
Name Year Team Finals
==========================================================================
Finals
1 Brad Walker Nike 5.75m 18-10.25
5.40 5.55 5.65 5.70 5.75 5.80 5.85
PPP O PPP PPP O PPP XXX
2 Jeremy Scott unattached 5.75m 18-10.25
5.40 5.55 5.65 5.70 5.75 5.80 5.85
XO O XO O O PPP XXX
2 Derek Miles Nike 5.75m 18-10.25
5.40 5.55 5.65 5.70 5.75 5.80 5.85
O O XO XPP O PPP XXX
4 Toby Stevenson unattached 5.75m 18-10.25
5.40 5.55 5.65 5.70 5.75 5.80 5.85
XO O XO XO XO XPP XX
5 Mark Hollis unattached 5.70m 18-08.25
5.40 5.55 5.65 5.70 5.75 5.80
O O XO O XXP X
6 Jason Colwick Rice 5.65m 18-06.50
5.40 5.55 5.65 5.70
PPP O O XXX
7 Jeff Ryan unattached 5.55m 18-02.50
5.40 5.55 5.65
PPP O XXX
8 Daniel Ryland Bell Athletics 5.55m 18-02.50
5.40 5.55 5.65
XPP O XXX
8 Scott Roth Washington 5.55m 18-02.50
5.40 5.55 5.65
XO O XXX
10 Timothy Mack unattached 5.55m 18-02.50
5.40 5.55 5.65
PPP XO XXX
11 Darren Niedermeyer unattached 5.55m 18-02.50
5.40 5.55 5.65 5.70
XXO XO XXP X
12 Brian Mondschein unattached 5.55m 18-02.50
5.40 5.55 5.65
XO XXO XXX
13 Paul Gensic U.S. Air Force 5.40m 17-08.50
5.40 5.55
O XXX
13 Rory Quiller Asics 5.40m 17-08.50
5.40 5.55
O XXX
15 Mitch Greeley unattached 5.40m 17-08.50
5.40 5.55
XO XXX
16 Jordan Scott Kansas 5.40m 17-08.50
5.40 5.55
XXO XXX
— Bryant Wilson Grand Valley State NH
5.40
XXX
— Paul Litchfield unattached NH
5.40
XXX
— Jacob Pauli Nike NH
5.40
XXX
— Graeme Hoste unattached NH
5.40
XXX
— Tommy Skipper Nike NH
5.40 5.55
PPP XXX
— Nick Frawley unattached NH
5.40
XXX
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