Skipper Signs With Oregon... Again

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2003/ ... .1119.html

Pole vault champion will enroll at UO

By Bob Rodman
The Register-Guard

Tommy Skipper, who set the national high school pole vault record of 18 feet, 3 inches earlier this year, has signed a financial aid agreement with the University of Oregon.

The former Sandy High School star is scheduled to enroll in January for the start of winter term.

Skipper was unavailable for comment on Tuesday night, but Martin Smith, the director of the UO combined men's and women's track and field program, was thrilled.

"This is a big sign," he said. "Tommy is the national high school male track and field athlete of the year. This is the first time we have signed someone of that stature and profile.

"It's an exciting and special moment to have someone who is considered the best high school track and field athlete in the country come into our program."

Skipper is the brother of the late Art Skipper, who competed for Oregon from 1989-92 and ranks second on the Ducks' javelin list with a throw of 251-8.

Tommy Skipper was a senior at Sandy last spring when he led the Pioneers to the Class 4A state high school track and field championship by winning the pole vault with a state meet-record jump of 17-7, winning the 100 meters in 10.88 seconds and finishing second in the 200 with a time of 21.86.

He followed those efforts by winning the pole vault at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships in June at Sacramento, with a jump of 18- 1/2 .

Skipper set the national prep pole vault record at the Golden West Invitational later that month, also in Sacramento.

"Tommy possesses a tremendous athletic talent and accomplishments," Smith said. "This is a wonderful thing for track in the state and community. It is accelerated by the fact that he is from Oregon, is a great high school athlete and holds a national high school record."

A three-time state pole vault champion, Skipper - who had visited Nebraska and Oregon but last spring committed to the Ducks - opted last summer to train for the 2004 Olympic Trials with a group of decathletes in Jonesboro, Ark.

Those plans apparently changed.

"My opinion is that Tommy is an incredibly gifted and talented athlete, and he has the ability to have an outstanding college career as well as an outstanding career outside of college," Smith said.

"I think he wanted time to think and make sure that the decision he made was the right one."

Once enrolled at Oregon, Smith said, Skipper will be eligible immediately to compete for the Ducks during the indoor and outdoor seasons.

Smith gave much of the credit for recruiting Skipper to Bill Lawson, the UO assistant coach who will be the incoming freshman's event coach.

"The pole vault will be Tommy's primary focus, but he obviously has ability in a number of areas," Smith said. "He and Bill will evaluate what direction to go as Tommy's season and career develops."

[vaultguru6]

we are very, very excited to have the chance to bring Tommy onto the squad this winter. The next four years with him and the rest of the vaulters on this program are gonna be the time of my life. We'll be looking to dethrone BYU as the top vault school in the nation this year with what could be 2 mid 17 footers and 2 18 footers. It's gonna be fun.

[swtvault]

We'll be looking to dethrone BYU as the top vault school in the nation this year with what could be 2 mid 17 footers and 2 18 footers. It's gonna be fun.

Watch out for Texas Tech too! Those guys can jump! All my former teamates are up there, plus I hear that Sage is back on the comeback trail so look out.

It was always fun for us at SWT to try and be the
"best vault school." In 2000 and 2002 we had were pretty dang close.

GF

[vaultguru6]

Yea you boys at SWT have had a very good program for the past couple years. If Sage really is on the come back i think i'm gonna start having trouble sleeping. He deserves it though.....nobody should have to go through so many injuries. We ought to make a scale for measuring best vault programs. Maybe take top 4 marks from that school and add them up? Maybe give points for different jump heights? It'd be fun to have a friendly little competition among the programs that think they can hang. Those BYU boys are gonna be tough for the next couple years though. Maybe we should make it a contest among schools whose vaulters aren't 25 year old freshman?

[KYLE ELLIS]

BYU cheats all of their Freshman guys are 30+years old! I cant wait till vaultingus updates his roster i cant wait to see were everyones at. Who else does TTECH HAVE? Most, Thames,...?

[lonestar]

BYU cheats all of their Freshman guys are 30+years old! I cant wait till vaultingus updates his roster i cant wait to see were everyones at. Who else does TTECH HAVE? Most, Thames,...?

Jared Thornhill and Ken Wilson - both 5.20+ guys.

[thornhillj]

if sage's shoulder sticks and hamstring doesnt blow up, its going to be insane.....he and bob were jumping at 5.50 the other day from 12 making it look effortless....

[thornhillj]

oh yeah...guru...try having youself and sage in the same district all through high school....yeah well, 2nd place wasnt so bad

[xtremevaulter]

Does anyone know wheither or not he is a go for the olympic trials?

[KYLE ELLIS]

who? i think you have to jump around 18-5 to qualify. Oh, Skipper, he could qualify this year

[vaultguru6]

I'm sure its highlighted, underlined and in bold on his schedule.

[zack]

If he jumps a qualifying mark this year (can't imagine he wouldn't) then he'll jump in the Trials. Don't know if he'll be trying in the decathlon though