Patrick Kelly Street Vault: Event memorializes vaulter (MT)

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Patrick Kelly Street Vault: Event memorializes pole vault enthusiast

By Nick McCarvel - Special to the Independent Record - 07/19/08


Joel Maes photo provided by Kelly family - Patrick Kelly pole vaults at the 2006 U.S.A. Track and Field Junior Olympics event at Vigilante Stadium.
On the day he died, Patrick Kelly soared higher than ever before.

It was early afternoon on a perfect summer day and Patrick cleared 8 feet in the pole vault, marking the first time he made that height outside of practice.

Today, two years after Patrick claimed his personal best, the same exhibition continues bearing his name in its title - The Third Annual Patrick Kelly Street Vault kicks off today at Memorial Park.

It’s a day of competition and wowing feats, but most of all, a day Patrick would have referred to with his signature phrase, “dude,” which, according to sister Kaely Kelly, translates as “this is so cool.”

Patrick Kelly was no record-holding pole vault champion. In fact, the 14-year-old Capital High freshman-to-be had picked up the sport just two years before, but it was a newfound passion and something he couldn’t get enough of.

“His favorite sport was always whatever he was doing at that moment in time,” said his dad, Tim Kelly. “The day he died, he did all of it; he was doing what he loved to do.”
That day in 2006, Patrick spent much of the morning and early afternoon around the Street Vault before heading out to the lake with friends where he died unexpectedly from an undiagnosed heart condition.

Kelly came from an athletic family; his dad coached track, basketball, golf, volleyball and football in the Helena community for years and he had a plethora of family members who played a variety of sports across Montana and throughout the Northwest.

None of them ever tried pole vault, leaving the adventuresome teen to explore new territory.

“I think he was drawn to the uniqueness of pole vaulting,” his mom, Sarah Kelly, remembers. “And it really was the kids that he was around, too.”

One of those kids was family friend Bobby Biskupiak, a guy Sarah calls Patrick’s “hero.” Biskupiak was a top-notch pole vaulter for Capital High and now is jumping for Montana State University.

“Patrick idolized Bobby,” Tim adds.

With the guidance of Biskupiak, Patrick took to pole vaulting with the same vigor he had for snowboarding, wakeboarding and basketball. A few weeks before his death, Patrick competed in his first official meet, the U.S.A. Track and Field Regional Junior Olympics at Vigilante Stadium.

“He had already been coming to camps for two years by that time,” says Todd Foster, Capital High pole vault coach and organizer of the annual Street Vault.

Patrick joined the pole vaulting family already formed in Helena within Foster’s camps, and tagged along with guys like Biskupiak and Chris Crawford, another high school pole vaulter.

“Patrick went after pole vaulting just like he went after anything else in life,” Biskupiak says. “He put everything into it and made everyone smile while doing so.”

It was these mentors that Patrick looked up to, but it was his “comfortable-in-my-own-skin” attitude that made him willing and able to pursue such a unique sport.

“It was his current obsession,” Sarah says. “When Patrick got hooked on something, he didn’t care what anyone else thought.”

“Sports were his social outlet,” sister Kaelyn suggests. “He didn’t care about winning or losing, he just wanted everyone to have fun.”

A healthy and active kid, Patrick’s death was untimely and unexpected. He complained of minor headaches only a week prior to his death at a family reunion in the Seeley Swan area, but it seemed to be nothing to worry about.

An autopsy showed that he died because of a congenital heart condition - Patrick only had two valves instead of three to pump blood in and out of his heart. With just two valves, the stress eventually became too much for the heart and muscles around it to handle, narrowing his aorta.

“We’ve been told that if he would have collapsed in the hospital, in the middle of the emergency room, that there would have been nothing they could have done,” Tim says.

With no knowledge of his condition, Patrick lived “for the weekends,” as his parents put it. Whatever the season, Patrick was out at some gym, track, hill, field or lake, enjoying the company of others.

“Patrick was a personable kid, a hard worker and - at 14 - people knew who he was.” Foster says. “Not because of his parents, but because of who he was.”

Those who came in contact with him say there was something special about Patrick. He had developed a deep spirituality in his last year and while taking guitar lessons with sister Kaelyn, he had written a song about his faith.

Patrick attended church and sports camps and family functions with an eagerness to be around people and enjoy the moment.

“There wasn’t a mean bone in his body,” his mom said. “The only place I ever saw him get truly mad was on the golf course and even then he was only getting mad at himself.

“He was just a funny, goofy kid.”

The goofiness started at an early age, when Patrick loved to dress up in a Bruins mascot costume and attend Capital High School basketball games while his dad coached. Mostly, he’d just hang with the high school kids and look “cute.’

“He would go to these games and completely hold his own,” Kaelyn remembers. “(The costume) was the mangiest looking thing, but he absolutely loved it. It was just Patrick being himself.”

Though Patrick would never fly in life, he came close that day with the pole in his hand. Was there a better way for Patrick to spend his last day on this earth?

“Absolutely not,” his dad says. “If a person has to die, I’m glad it happened that way.”

He flew high that day, with a smile on his face and not a care in the world. Soaring, indeed.

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Patrick Kelly Street Vault: Athletes soar at annual event

By NICK MCCARVEL - Special to the Independent Record - 07/20/08


Lisa Kunkel IR staff photographer - Fourteen-year-old Brian Schenavar of Thompson Falls clears the bar during the annual Patrick Kelly Street Vault Saturday afternoon in Memorial Park.
A clear blue sky had nothing but pole vaulters flying through it Saturday afternoon at Memorial Park.

The Third Annual Patrick Kelly Street Vault drew pole vaulters from across the state and featured two-time NCAA National Indoor Champion, Ellie Rudy.

“What a perfect day for pole vaulting,” Tim Kelly, Patrick’s father said while attending the day’s activities.

Later in the afternoon, vaulters battled gusty winds that blew across the pole vault mat, creating difficult conditions.

Earlier, however, loud music blasted from mounted speakers and a cool breeze blew across the park as vaulters trotted down a platform-like runway.

“The music is the best part,” Rudy said, while lacing up her shoes in preparation for her jumps.
Before Rudy and other big-name vaulters like Helena’s Nick Morrow and Bobby Biskupiak took center stage, middle and high school athletes had their go at the bar.

“This is just a treat to watch,” said Donna Kropp, whose grandson Ryan Kropp was participating. “What a nice thing to do on a Saturday afternoon.”

Ryan cleared 10 feet, 6 inches, tying his personal best.

Sara Lubke, a Capital High teammate of Ryan’s, also cleared 10 feet, 6 inches.

Lubke was the Class AA state runner-up in pole vault this past spring and the event served as a warm-up for her. She leaves Tuesday for Omaha, Neb., and the USATF National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championships.

“She should be in competition for a national title in her division,” said Todd Foster, Capital High pole vault coach and organizer of the Street Vault.

“We just want her to do well,” her mom, Linda Lubke said. “It will be a great experience.”

Vaulters threw free T-shirts into the crowd after their attempts while spectators munched on picnic lunches and burgers and hot dogs being grilled nearby.

The music pulsated throughout the park as smoke from the grill filled the air and chalk flew by from vaulters getting ready to make their jumps.

Some vaulters were clad in uniforms, but most had on casual sportswear and sunglasses. Vaulter Krisen Oaks sported funky braids in her hair.

“It’s just really cool to be in the middle of the city, jumping away from the track,” Oaks said.

Rudy’s hair was braided too, and after the Montana State University vaulter cleared 12 feet, 6 inches, she came off the mat with a smile.

“I love flying through the air,” she said. “Anything to get the kids involved.”

Families clad in swimsuits passed by the event with their small children pointing up at the high bar, squinting with wonder.

Pamela Twitchell had taken a bike ride and decided that a book, a spot in the shade and watching some pole vault would make up her afternoon.

“I love it,” she said, her finger holding her reading place. “I just move as the shade moves and still have a great view.”

Carrie and Bob Biskupiak brought their two dogs and the family’s camera, watching son Bobby from a park bench.

“There’s no tension here,” Carrie laughed, saying that she’s usually nervous during Bobby’s track meets at MSU.

“Between pole vaulting and snowboarding, I told my son he’s only happy when he’s 16-feet in the air!” Bob joked.

Audience members seemed more content to stay on the ground and listen to long-time pole vault enthusiast Marshal Price shout out competitor’s names and offer some occasional commentary.

“Don’t you want to get up there?” Price asked one fan. She giggled and shook her head, looking rather comfortable in her lawn chair.

With the American flag whipping in the wind at the YMCA, the competition began to pick as the afternoon wore on.

All four of the boy’s high school pole vault champions (Class AA, A, B and C) were in attendance, as well former University of Montana All-American Adam Bork.

Bork snapped a pole during warm-ups, and subsequently pulled out of the competition because of a swollen hand. Morrow won the overall event, clearing 15 feet, 6 inches.

“On the pole vault roadmap in the United Sates, Helena is a pretty big stop,” Foster said. “This whole state is pole vault country, and you can see it here today in the competitors we have.”

Foster busied himself with logistics throughout the day, putting the bar back up after it was knocked down, yelling encouragement to vaulters and even cracking his son’s back at one point.

The day continued on with laughs coming from the crowd and each vaulter competing against the ultimate opponent: him or herself.

“It’s all about them,” Foster said. “The whole day wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t because of them. These kids do it because they love this sport.”

Love, Bob Biskupiak said, is an understatement.

“It gets in their blood. They become obsessed. But it’s a family out there; they always support each other.”