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Vaulters top event record
Roth, Scott finish 1-2 at Junior Olympics by clearing better than 17 feet at IUPUI.
That's way up there: Jordan Scott clears 17 feet, 11/2 inches in the pole vault to win the event at the national Junior Olympics. -- Robert Scheer / The Star
By David Woods
david.woods@indystar.com
Jordan Scott and Scott Roth live on opposite sides of the country and often compete against each other. When it comes to pole vaulting, though, they are as together as brothers.
Together, the 17-year-olds broke the national Junior Olympics record Thursday at IUPUI's Carroll Stadium.
Scott, Watkinsville, Ga., cleared 17 feet, 11/2 inches on his first attempt to claim the gold medal. Roth, Granite Bay, Calif., cleared on his second attempt to take silver.
They share the record, breaking a 19-year-old mark of 16-6.
The vaulters have their clashes, but not with each other.
Back home in Georgia, the football coach envisions the 6-2, 165-pound Scott as a wide receiver. Scott hasn't gone off track.
"I played football in eighth grade. I didn't really like it," he said.
Meanwhile, Roth said he "works things out" with his father, Curt, who coaches him. Curt Roth was a college vaulter at Sacramento State and has been teaching the event since his son was 10.
"I'm probably tough to deal with as dads go," Curt Roth acknowledged. "He's been able to do well in spite of me."
Scott Roth dealt with illness earlier this month at Marrakech, Morocco, where he was in the under-18 World Youth Championships. His colleague kept him covered with blankets and made sure there was medical treatment.
"Dude, don't die on me," Jordan Scott said jokingly.
Scott and Roth each has another year of high school. Back for two years is Homestead (Ind.) High's Jonathan Hall, who finished fourth at 15-11, two inches higher than the winning height at the state meet. Hall was seventh at state as a sophomore.
Coincidentally, Roth had the same outcome in Marrakech and Indianapolis -- a meet record, but second place. In Morocco, Yangshen Yang of China and Roth vaulted 17-21/2, and Roth took silver because of more misses. Scott finished fifth.
Roth won the Nike nationals, and his 17-21/2 is the top vault in the nation this year. He waited nearly 41/2 hours after the 9:30 a.m. start of competition before taking his first attempt. By the time he and Scott were going for records, a large crowd had gathered on the stadium's east end.
"The crowd was great. I ran down the runway, I was pumped," Scott said.
Although swirling winds at IUPUI have confounded vaulters over the years, Scott said it just takes patience to wait for the wind to die or to be at a vaulter's back.
"I think it's a great place to jump," he said.