Out Loud with Olympia pole vaulter Tyler Ginger (IL)

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http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/high-s ... 03286.html


Out Loud with Olympia pole vaulter Tyler Ginger
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By Bruce Yentes | byentes@pantagraph.com | Posted: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 7:00 am | No Comments Posted
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STANFORD -- Olympia High School sophomore Tyler Ginger is busy preparing himself for the outdoor track season after spending the summer establishing himself as one of the top young pole vaulters in the nation.
In the U.S. Track and Field Association rankings, Ginger is listed second among high school sophomores in the United States and 23rd overall.
A busy summer of AAU competition helped elevate Ginger to his lofty ranking.
He finished fourth in the intermediate (15-16 year old) division of the AAU Nationals in Virginia Beach, Va., last summer before traveling to Reno, Nev., in February and recording a first in the National Pole Vault Summit by clearing 15-feet, his career best.
The showings helped him to qualify for the Junior World Trials June 23 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
In the meantime, The Pantagraph caught up with Ginger between jumps for a question-and-answer session:
Question: What got you interested in pole vaulting?
Answer: "In seventh grade it looked interesting and I just decided to get into it. The first time I jumped I didn't really know what I was doing, but I got hooked on it and just kind of kept with it."
What are the things that got you hooked and that you find enjoyable about it now?
"It's a you-versus-yourself thing. It's not you versus anybody else. It's just you going against the bar and every time you make a bar, it's the greatest feeling in the world. I like team sports, but I really like sports where it's just you versus yourself."
What team sports do you play?
"I play soccer and do kicking for the JV football team. Last year my soccer season ended short because I dislocated my hip. I've played soccer pretty much since I was five, six, seven."
You also run the hurdles in track. Have you always been pretty fast?
"I'm not really that fast, I'm just quick which helps a lot between each hurdle, so I can make up a lot of ground on people what I lack in speed."
Do you lift a lot of weights?
"Yeah, that's really important in pole vaulting. It's a lot of lifting weights, a lot of gymnastics, a lot of speed. A lot of the lifting is mostly Olympic lifts like power jerks, cleans, stuff like that."
How long does it take to learn proper form in pole vaulting?
"I don't think you can ever perfect your form. If you look at the Olympic guys, everybody has their own style and nobody's the same. It's just what works for you and how you can jump best with your form."
With 15-feet even being your best vault, how much do you think you can improve on that this year?
"I'm looking forward to the 15-6, 15-8 area, around there."
What do you enjoy studying in school?
"I like math and science. My goal for college is I want to be an aeronautical engineer and I'd like to go to the Air Force Academy. I'd like to design planes."