Paul Corona 16-1 (AZ)

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http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/R ... ert/125746

Yuma Catholic senior vaults 16-1

Yuma Catholic is a Class 2A school known primarily for its football teams. Saturday, senior Paul Corona put the school on the map in pole vaulting. He cleared 16 feet, 1 inch at the Chandler Valley Christian Invitational.

It set his state 2A record of 15-7 set earlier this season and it placed him tied for 11th in the country this track and field season.

Corona, a senior, clearly is in a class by himself in Arizona this year in the pole vault. The next-closest competitors are Queen Creek's Greg Peterson and Chandler Basha's Garrett Starkey at 15 feet. Starkey, a junior, is the son of former world-class vaulter Dean Starkey, who cleared 19 feet in his career.

Corona has pole vaulting bloodlines. His father Raymond still holds the family record. He cleared 16-4 during his college days. What makes Corona's achievement that much more impressive is that Yuma Catholic doesn't have a track and he didn't start vaulting until he got to high school.

Yuma Catholic does have a pole vault pit with all of the proper pads and cover, but no cement pad or runway to use it with. So, for the past three years, according to Yuma Catholic coach Ralph Farr, Corona had to rely on using the pits at local high schools, primarily Gila Ridge, which is about 11 miles away from his school.

During his sophomore year, Farr, said Yuma Catholic obtained the services of a vaulting coach to help this kid oozing with potential. Since then, Corona has benefitted greatly and has formed bonds with Phoenix-area coaches who have helped him reach these new heights, Farr said.

"He has gone to Phoenix on weekends to work with coaches at Paradise Valley Community College and last weekend, the coach at Valley Christian, Perry Fraley, helped him with a pole that allowed him to go over the 16-foot barrier," Farr said. "Paul probably gets to practice vaulting about less than two-thirds of the time that his major competitors have the opportunity to, because we do not have year-round access to the required pits. He is an amazing athlete."

Farr said Corona has received letter from every major college track program in the nation. He was accepted to attend the Air Force Academy and liked the coaches and facilities, but he is close to his older brother who attends the University of Arizona. Corona also is a musician involved in a band and would like to pursue that. Still, he would like to vault in college.

"I truly believe that he has the ability to become an Olympic athlete if he continues in the sport and stays healthy," Farr said. "What he has accomplished thus far with so little practice and access to facilities is nothing short of amazing."