PoleVaultPower.com

I know there isn't a whole lot that can be done about the discrepancy between East and West in both the men and women D1 Pole Vault, but wanted to show how large it is. Don't get me wrong...this system is way better than just going descending order list and I love the fact that athletes have to compete in order to make it to the show. Also, I know that this only effects the lower part of the list so it is probably not having an impact on who actually qualifies to the final round and that there are events in the east that are stronger but here are the numbers:

- Men's West PV - 48th in the west was 5.10 meters...48th in the East was 5.01 meters
- The 70th best jump in the West would have qualified in the East
- Women's West PV - 48th in the west was 3.95 meters...48th in the East was 3.86 meters
- The 61st best jump in the West would have qualified in the East

I thought this was interesting...also frustrating due to the fact that I have an athlete who is a senior who finished 54th in the West who would have been 32nd in the East. Again, I like the system but wonder if there isn't some sort of at large bid tweak that could help lessen the discrepancy...any thoughts?

after seein the results, and i dont know how the weather and outside factors were in the east, but seeing that the east champion wouldnt have even qualified in the west, even tho vera's an amazing jumper and had she been in the west would still have qualified without a doubt in my mind, kinda makes you wonder

Remember that they stop jumping when the field is set. So you can't say that the people from the east wouldn't have qualified if they were in the west. I'm sure at least some of them would have made another bar given the chance.

But yes, we all know the east region is weaker than the west region in the pole vault. It's kind of beating a dead horse.

The weather during the women's competition in the East was cold and windy with a steady rain throughout.

Weather in the West was the same. 55-60 degrees constant rain. Women vaulted against a headwind on top of that. I guess thats Oregon for you. Goodluck to those who made it!

In the west the men had constant rain, sometimes heavy enought to stop competition but had a tail wind. women had way less rain but started into a head wind then changed to a pretty good tail wind then switched back and forth. some got lucky, some didn't. was very impressed with the women who made bars into a pretty big wind

ok, i will not deny that the east and the west have discrepancies, but strictly for the guys, the east and the west had to clear the same height to make it to nationals. As for a qualifying for regionals, the system is the way it is and it is fair. This is coming from a guy who was 15th indoors and didn't make the cut due to DMR autoqual in 2009, and was top 24 outdoors last year, but had a bad meet at regionals... Honestly, there is some chance of a 5.10 guy making 5.25, or going clean through 5.15, but that would simply make the qualifying bars go higher, because everyone else would still be in.

If there is one thing i have learned through competing in college is there is nothing you can do about what the NCAA decides, but you can control how high you jump on any given day, not anyone else, so be on your game and make sure you qualify. Find meets that will go a .01 or .02 higher than what the 40th guy is just to be sure, cause in the end, the people who make the rules can't do anything about it in the week or so when the lists are made.

Life isn't always fair, and if you want something make sure you go after it harder than the guy/gal next you, cause you are the only one that can do something about it.

Just a thought