PoleVaultPower.com

Backdrop:

-Kid is a 15' senior vaulter with legitimate shot at state title.
-He is also the best 400 runner on team and anchor of 4X4.
-Did not win district pole vault last year.
-4x4 will most likely be seeded anywhere from 2 through 4 at districts.
-4x4 time will not meet state qual. time but has chance to make states if finish in
top two at districts.
-4x4 team will not make it to state without vaulter.
-4x4 team will not make it out of prelims. at states with or without vaulter.
-two kids from 4x4 will most likely make it to states without 4x4 in other
events, one of the two will be the vaulter.
-other three 4x4 members are juniors, vaulter is only senior.
-district meet record is 15' and vaulter has good chance to beat.
-end of pole vault will most likely coincide with 4x4 at districts.

A suggestion has been made to have the vaulter stop at 13'6" (state qual. height) if the 4x4 is starting and anchor the 4x4 with hope
of 4x4 and vaulter making it to states.

Vaulter wants to help his teammates but will forego possible chance at winning district vault, breaking district vault record and will enter state meet with low
seed and will have to jump before vaulters he wouldn't otherwise have had to do.

Also worried about how this scenario will affect concentration of vaulter.

Need honest opinions on how to reach resolution. Thank you.

Everyone loves the 4x4.. if he wants to run it, let him.

It just comes down to would he rather the record, which nothing against him or this record, no one really remembers district record holders, but they will always remember a good race as a team.

And as far as having to come in before other vaulters. That is kind of irrelevant, if he is a better vaulter than a 13'6 vaulter he can just pass until the height he wants to come in at. Most 13'6 vaulters will come in at like 11'6 or 12' at states while a 15' vaulter should never come in below 13'. So the advantage gained from going last is very little.

Just ask him, and I am pretty sure he will probably chose to run the 4x4 if there is a chance they can make states, but if he wants to, then there is no reason not to let him.

Definitely let him run the 4x400. It's always hard to say how the vault will play out in terms of how long it takes to finish and such.

Hmm, how much time would he need to do the 4x4?

Note: the time limit for how long competitors have when excused for other events is not a hardwired number. It is determined by the games committee (rule 7-3-7). They could allow a very long time. And in the case of a competitor that has won the event, the only harm for an excessive delay is the official running the event may not want to wait. (With one competitor left, you could release everyone else.) I find it hard to believe that once he is the sole competitor left that they would deny him the opportunity to set a record.

Anyway, some suggestions to try to let him have his cake and eat it too:
- Running the first leg of 4x4 would save him some checkout time (~2.5 minutes, or 1.6 mins if he is 2nd leg).
- Make this group of 4 the "B" team with a high seed mark so they end up in the first heat. This way he isn't trapped over at the starting line watching other heats run.
- Volunteer to officiate the PV event and drag it out or speed it up as needed. (And if you are the one timing his absence time, ...)