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America's Elite Youth

Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2009 10:49 pm
by ras
Reading this old topic viewtopic.php?f=1&t=174&start=0&hilit=girl+jump+grade made me wonder - What marks currently define the “best of the best” for America’s elite youth? I would think that the proper measure would be somewhere close to the heights that would include only a handful of active jumpers at any one time (as posted at sanctioned meets).

On the boys side, it has always seemed pretty simple - “Jump your age”. It appears the top marks tend to be fairly linear and increase at about 1 foot per year. Therefore you get:

Age Height
12 12’
13 13’
14 14’
15 15’
16 16’
17 17’
18 18’
19 19’

The active jumpers that I could find would then be:

Spencer McCorkel , Scott Roth, and Maston Wallace


Girls seem to be a little more difficult. Looks like no girl has ever jumped her age (although as least one has come close). Seems like a good corresponding measure for the girls would be AGE minus 2 feet. However, it appears that the girls experience the same rapid improvements as the boys only until the age of 15 or so. At this point, it looks like improvements should be measured more in inches per year than feet per year. Keeping the same criteria, does this sound about right for the girls?

Age Height
12 10’
13 11’
14 12’
15 13’
16 13’3”
17 13’6”
18 13’9”
19 14’0”

The active girls I could find would then be:

Jessica Doyle, Shade Weygandt, Katie Veith , Mary Saxer, and Tiffany Maskulinksi

Which active vaulters am I missing and do you feel these marks (especially for the girls) need to be moved up or down?

Re: America's Elite Youth

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 12:26 am
by KirkB
Your link seems broken ... maybe you meant this thread? http://www.polevaultpower.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=174&start=0&hilit=girl+jump+grade

... where it talks about girls vaulting their grade?

For boys, Jack Whitt is a bit of an anomoly ... vaulting 18' at age 18 ... but way below that in all previous years. But if you're going to mention today's elite youth then you MUST include him!

Kirk

Re: America's Elite Youth

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 1:01 am
by rainbowgirl28
I guess it depends on how you are defining best of the best. The parameters you gave define the best of the best all-time, as opposed to what might define the top few kids every year.

Re: America's Elite Youth

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 10:09 am
by ras
Good point. You are correct - these would be best all time. Although the intent was not so much to identify the individuals but rather to identify the age based set of marks that establish this truly elite level. The vaulters were listed as data points in an attempt to prove the legitimacy of the set of marks (that they are both obtainable and extremely rare).

Thanks for the reminder on Jack. He would make the boys list climb to 4 active vaulters:

Spencer McCorkel , Scott Roth, Maston Wallace, and Jack Whitt

Re: America's Elite Youth

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 1:13 am
by pv161
JJ Juilfs, 16' at age 16 last season

Re: America's Elite Youth

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:18 pm
by ras
Wow! Lots of great young jumpers:

Girls:
Jessica Doyle, Shade Weygandt, Katie Veith, Mary Saxer, Tiffany Maskulinksi, Karmen Auble

Boys:
Spencer McCorkel , Scott Roth, Maston Wallace, and Jack Whitt, JJ Juilfs

Re: America's Elite Youth

Posted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:04 pm
by AVC Coach
Sam Ewing jumped 5.20m (17'00.75") this summer as a 17 year old.

Re: America's Elite Youth

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 10:25 am
by FLY-NHG
[quote][/quote] "Meaux" Morgann LeLeux a 16yr old and a Jr.at Catholic High New Iberia,La. is another still active in high school vaulting who has hit every number on your chart so far.....

Re: America's Elite Youth

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 4:25 pm
by starkey480
dont forget andreas and mondo duplantis! they jumped their age last year