Kirk Chestnut Article (former VA prep star)

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http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2006 ... 006/165725

Competitive edge put Chestnut on top

Competitive edge boosted Chestnut to the top

Date published: 2/5/2006

By KURT NICOLL

The climb to the top proved a lot more entertaining for Kirk Chestnut that arriving at the desired goal itself.

"[Flight school] is a challenging year, but is one of the finest years you have flying in your life," said the American Airlines pilot following a recent flight to Mexico and back. "It was hard. No matter how many hours of flying you had going in, they kind of retrain you. It was like starting over."

Similarly, capturing fourth place in the pole vault to earn all-state honors his senior year (1980-81) at Stafford did not compare to the enjoyment and satisfaction he experienced working to reach that goal.

"Track was a lot of fun. At the meets, you set up the tents and everyone would hang out and joke around," he recalled. "I don't know if college would have been the same, but it would have been nice to find out."

Chestnut, who turns 43 next month, indicated that the track coaches at James Madison University showed little interest in having him join the team, so he concentrated on earning his college degree while majoring in geology. He graduated in 1985. His other regret regarding athletics was deciding to give up the sport of basketball following his freshman year at Stafford.

Chestnut moved to Stafford County when he was 5 years old, and emulated his father, Dallas, who pole vaulted while attending high school in Kansas and who was a pilot for Eastern Airlines.

He first competed with the Drew Middle School track team, then gained a valuable year of training and competing with veteran pole vaulter James Cregg in his freshman year.

Chestnut praised his former track coaches, first Ronnie Gosper and then Joe Ocheltree, for piquing his interest through their enthusiasm and motivating skills.

Chestnut blossomed his final two years at Stafford--setting a school record of 14 feet, 3 inches his junior year, then placing at the Group AAA state meet with a height of 13-9 the following year.

Although not the fastest afoot, Chestnut would occasionally fill in for other events when the Indians were short-handed, and he also competed in winter track for three years (after giving up basketball) and two years of cross country.

Part of Chestnut's success could be attributed to the working relationship he had with Jim Shotwell and Mark Spenik, two standout pole vaulters at Spotsylvania.

Prior to his senior year, Chestnut joined Shotwell in a pole vaulting camp held at the University of Florida, then joined Indians teammate Craig Leggett for the same kind of camp at Rhode Island.

At other times during the school year, Chestnut and Spenik would drive to George Mason or the University of Virginia to work out and receive pointers from their pole vaulters and coaches.

"They were friendly with each other, and great competition--the would push each other to go higher and higher," said Ocheltree, who now coaches at Brooke Point High School. "It pretty much went back and forth between them. They were the three best pole vaulters this area ever had at one time."

Chestnut joined the Air Force Reserve in 1987 and participated in Operation Desert Storm, transporting troops and equipment from Europe to the Middle East, and later evacuating injured troops. He is still active at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

With American for 16 years, Chestnut is limited to flights in the continental U.S. as well as Mexico and some neighboring cities in Canada.

During his off-time, Chestnut enjoys a number of sports-related activities, including cycling, running and a few rounds of golf with some of his old friends from high school.

Chestnut resides in Stafford County with his three children: Kelsey, a freshman at Stafford High, Karri, 11, and Austin, 7.