Atlee pole-vaulters set the bar high (VA)

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http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/hi ... ar-773845/


Atlee pole-vaulters set the bar high

By CHRIS HARRIS
Published: January 14, 2011

Chris Pillow and Cameron Overstreet are not only vying for senior superlatives at Atlee High School, they are challenging to be the nation’s top pole-vaulters.

As the indoor track and field season hits full stride this month, Pillow and Overstreet already have established themselves as two of the nation’s elite. Overstreet’s vault of 12 feet, 7 inches at the Fork Union Mini Invite No.2 on Dec. 15 earned her the No.1 girls ranking nationally. She has vaulted over 12 feet in each of the Raiders’ four meets this season.

Pillow has cleared 15 feet in four meets and is ranked second in the nation among boys after clearing 15-6 to set an Arthur Ashe Center record in the CVTF Clinic on Dec. 29.

Pillow’s mark eclipsed the 15-3 posted by Keith Young in 1983.

“It’s a combination of things, but mainly it’s dedication and hard work that makes Chris and Cameron special,” Atlee assistant coach Kyle Bishop said.

This is Bishop’s 30th season coaching pole vault and his 16th at Atlee. He is one of the founding fathers of the Raiders’ track program.

“Chris and Cameron have been willing to sacrifice,” Bishop said. “I sat down with them basically two years ago and told them that we can be somewhere your senior year if you’re willing to make the personal sacrifices.

“Now we’re sitting here and Cameron is currently ranked No.1 in the nation and Chris is No.2 and neither one has scratched the surface of their potential this year.”

Overstreet began pole-vaulting as a freshman at Atlee. Her first exposure to competitive athletics included vaulting of another sort.

“I was a gymnast for 12 years and Coach [Bishop] came and found me,” said Overstreet, who has verbally committed to North Carolina.

Said Bishop: “It was very obvious for Cameron [to get into pole vault] because she was so dedicated and so strong. I saw her in the eighth grade and recruited her, and the people over at All-American Gymnastics were very supportive of what she wanted to do.”

Pillow also is a former middle school gymnast, but it was his size that drove him to pole vault.

“I had to move on to pole vault because I became too tall [for gymnastics],” said Pillow, who is 6-2.

The average height of a male gymnast is between 5-5 and 5-7.

Bishop, however, identified something extraordinary about Pillow, who is considering Virginia Tech and William and Mary.

“I saw Chris on a trampoline doing layout flips and kicking soccer balls while completely upside down. And when you have a kid that is over 6 feet tall that can do that, it’s pretty special,” Bishop said.

“You don’t see that often. Most tall kids don’t have that kinetic sense, and he does.”

That kinetic sense, along with flexibility and an innate awareness of where he is while airborne, is a key element in Pillow’s success.

“The transition to pole vault has been cool,” Pillow said. “I wasn’t competitive in gymnastics, I wasn’t into it. But with pole vault, I really got into it.

“[Getting good in pole vault] really takes dedication. The technique really takes a long time to master; it’s a lot of drills and hammering things down.”

With the bulk of the indoor season and the entire outdoor season still to come, Pillow and Overstreet have set some lofty goals. Pillow is aiming for 16-6 ¾ by the end of the indoor season and wants to clear 17 feet in the outdoor season. Cameron wants to vault 13-4 before she graduates.

No doubt each is echoing the sentiments of their coach.

“I want to see Cameron vault 13-1¾, which will put her in position to be considered as one of the tops all-time,” Bishop said.

“And 16-6 ¾ for a boy would put Chris a little bit above everyone in the group.

“That’s our goal, and I really think that we’re going to achieve it.”