Winning Height 6' at Caddo Relays (article)
Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 6:32 pm
http://www.bossierpress.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=41
This is no April Fool joke; winning height in pole vault was six feet in Caddo Relays
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Written by Jerry Byrd  ÂÂ
Friday, 01 April 2005
Considering the date, I couldn’t blame you for thinking this is a joke. It may be a joke, but, according to the daily paper across the river, it really happened.
Ten Caddo Parish high schools participated in the Caddo Relays last week.
Only one pole vaulter cleared the opening height.
Six feet.
I have been watching local high school track and field meets for more than a half-century. This is the only time the winning height in the high jump was higher than the winning height in the pole vault.
It is also the only time I can recall the winning height in the girls’ pole vault being a foot higher than the winning height in the boys’ pole vault.
Apparently, none of the Caddo coaches had enough time or made enough effort to develop a vaulter.
On the same day, Class 2A Lakeside (Sibley) took first and third in its meet as one vaulter cleared 12 feet and another 11-6.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The opening height for the boys’ pole vault in high school should never be less than nine feet. If a boy can’t clear nine feet, he shouldn’t be competing in a meet. The opening height for the girls’ pole vault shouldn’t be lower than eight feet. In the Jonesboro-Hodge meet a couple of weeks ago, the opening height for the girls’ pole vault was 4-6. If a girl needs a pole to clear 4-6, she may be in the wrong sport.
In most (if not all) physical education classes, you can find a boy capable of clearing nine feet and a girl capable of clearing eight feet with a few weeks of practice. Lowering the standards to 6-0 and 4-6 turns the event into a farce.
For 30 years, Bossier Parish produced its share of pole vault champions -- starting with Amos Lee of Haughton in 1937, the first year schools were divided into two classifications. He cleared 11-6, using a bamboo pole. Buddy Franks of Haughton won the Class B pole vault in 1941 with 10-9, with a bamboo pole. Then Bossier High coach Randol Kirkland produced two state champions: Bobby Ray McHalffey in 1949, James Honeycutt in 1951 and 1952.
Plain Dealing had four pole vault champions in a 15-year span: Billy Anderson in 1951, Al Johnson and Henry Keeth in 1961 (they were part of a three-way tie for first) and Wayne Horton in 1966, who may have been the parish’s first 12-footer.
Since 1966, the only Bossier Parish state champion was Chris Romano of Benton, who won the 1997 state meet with 13-0 and was selected on the All-State team in 1998 with a parish record 14-9, although he didn’t win the state championship in his senior season.
All-State track and field teams date back to 1953, consisting of the best athletes in each event, regardless of classification. In more than 50 years, Romano is the only All-State pole vaulter from Bossier Parish. The only Caddo Parish All-Staters are Doyle Etheridge (1956) and Russell Adams (1977) of Fair Park and Wayne Nelson (1959) of Byrd.
Nelson was the only All-State vaulter produced by legendary Byrd coach Woodrow Turner, whose teams won nine state titles in 12 years. But he usually had a couple of 11- or 12-foot vaulters who were competitive, often capable of scoring a few points in the state meet.
Bossier Parish may not have a state champion vaulter this year, but I will be surprised if a half dozen vaulters don’t clear 10 feet or more by the end of the season.
Jerry Byrd is sports editor of the Bossier Press-Tribune and an award- winning columnist. You may contact him at (office) 747-7900 or (home) 603-0680. Fax number is 747-5298. E-mail address is (home) jbsportswriter@juno.com
This is no April Fool joke; winning height in pole vault was six feet in Caddo Relays
PDFÂÂ
| Print |
 E-mail
Written by Jerry Byrd  ÂÂ
Friday, 01 April 2005
Considering the date, I couldn’t blame you for thinking this is a joke. It may be a joke, but, according to the daily paper across the river, it really happened.
Ten Caddo Parish high schools participated in the Caddo Relays last week.
Only one pole vaulter cleared the opening height.
Six feet.
I have been watching local high school track and field meets for more than a half-century. This is the only time the winning height in the high jump was higher than the winning height in the pole vault.
It is also the only time I can recall the winning height in the girls’ pole vault being a foot higher than the winning height in the boys’ pole vault.
Apparently, none of the Caddo coaches had enough time or made enough effort to develop a vaulter.
On the same day, Class 2A Lakeside (Sibley) took first and third in its meet as one vaulter cleared 12 feet and another 11-6.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The opening height for the boys’ pole vault in high school should never be less than nine feet. If a boy can’t clear nine feet, he shouldn’t be competing in a meet. The opening height for the girls’ pole vault shouldn’t be lower than eight feet. In the Jonesboro-Hodge meet a couple of weeks ago, the opening height for the girls’ pole vault was 4-6. If a girl needs a pole to clear 4-6, she may be in the wrong sport.
In most (if not all) physical education classes, you can find a boy capable of clearing nine feet and a girl capable of clearing eight feet with a few weeks of practice. Lowering the standards to 6-0 and 4-6 turns the event into a farce.
For 30 years, Bossier Parish produced its share of pole vault champions -- starting with Amos Lee of Haughton in 1937, the first year schools were divided into two classifications. He cleared 11-6, using a bamboo pole. Buddy Franks of Haughton won the Class B pole vault in 1941 with 10-9, with a bamboo pole. Then Bossier High coach Randol Kirkland produced two state champions: Bobby Ray McHalffey in 1949, James Honeycutt in 1951 and 1952.
Plain Dealing had four pole vault champions in a 15-year span: Billy Anderson in 1951, Al Johnson and Henry Keeth in 1961 (they were part of a three-way tie for first) and Wayne Horton in 1966, who may have been the parish’s first 12-footer.
Since 1966, the only Bossier Parish state champion was Chris Romano of Benton, who won the 1997 state meet with 13-0 and was selected on the All-State team in 1998 with a parish record 14-9, although he didn’t win the state championship in his senior season.
All-State track and field teams date back to 1953, consisting of the best athletes in each event, regardless of classification. In more than 50 years, Romano is the only All-State pole vaulter from Bossier Parish. The only Caddo Parish All-Staters are Doyle Etheridge (1956) and Russell Adams (1977) of Fair Park and Wayne Nelson (1959) of Byrd.
Nelson was the only All-State vaulter produced by legendary Byrd coach Woodrow Turner, whose teams won nine state titles in 12 years. But he usually had a couple of 11- or 12-foot vaulters who were competitive, often capable of scoring a few points in the state meet.
Bossier Parish may not have a state champion vaulter this year, but I will be surprised if a half dozen vaulters don’t clear 10 feet or more by the end of the season.
Jerry Byrd is sports editor of the Bossier Press-Tribune and an award- winning columnist. You may contact him at (office) 747-7900 or (home) 603-0680. Fax number is 747-5298. E-mail address is (home) jbsportswriter@juno.com
