Millrose - Hollis, Miles 5.60, Johnson 4.50

[rainbowgirl28]

NEW YORK - American women's pole vault record holder Jenn (Stuczynski) Suhr and 2004 Olympic men's pole vault gold medalist Tim Mack will attempt to reach new heights at the 103rd Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden.

Suhr will compete for the first time since pulling out of the 2009 World Championships, and Mack will be in search of his first Millrose victory when they take the stage on Friday, January 29, Millrose organizers announced Tuesday.

The Millrose Games is the first stop of USA Track & Field's Visa Championship Series. The longest-running annual event held at The Garden and one of the best indoor track and field meets in the world, The Millrose Games features some of America's and the world's top track and field talent. The meet will be televised live on January 29 on ESPN2 from 8-10 p.m. Eastern Time.

The American pole vaulting queen and 2008 Olympic Games and World Indoor silver medalist, Jenn Suhr easily captured her fourth #1 U.S. ranking by Track & Field News in as many years even though she had to pull out of the World Championships due to an Achilles injury. Better than ever in 2010, and with a new last name thanks to her marriage to coach Rick Suhr, Jenn looks to turn back upstart Chelsea Johnson, who won the silver medal at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships in Berlin, when they meet in the Garden. The 2006 NCAA champion, Johnson earned her first top-ten world ranking when she finished her 2009 season ranked #9 by T&FN. Suhr finished out the year ranked #8 in the world.

The 2004 Olympic Games gold medalist who also won the men's pole vault at that year's Olympic Trials, Mack has been remarkably consistent throughout his career, having been ranked in the top ten in the U.S. in the men's pole vault the last nine years in a row. Also a two-time World Outdoor Championships team member, Mack will face 2008 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher and two-time Millrose winner Derek Miles, who ended his 2009 campaign ranked #5 in the world. France's Renaud Lavillenie, the 2009 World Outdoor bronze medalist, will also be in the mix.

For ticket information for the 103rd Millrose Games visit: http://www.millrose-games.com. USATF welcomes you to pay with your Visa.

For more information on the 2010 Millrose Games and the 2010 Visa Championship Series, visit: http://www.visachampionshipseries.com or http://www.millrose-games.com.

[Polevaultfan1]

So, so far it looks like no Tim, Derek, April, Chelsea or Jenn at Summit.

[VaultLove]

http://www.iaaf.org/WIM10/news/newsid=55345.html

[rainbowgirl28]

Mark Hollis will be at Millrose as well. Lacy Janson will be at the PV Summit.

[LHSvaulter]

Brad Walker is also scheduled to be at the Millrose Games according to his website. I stumbled upon this while trying to find a list of vaulters competing at the Boston Indoor Games.

[KirkB]

Brad Walker is also scheduled to be at the Millrose Games according to his website.

Looking at his website http://www.bradwalker.us/ the Millrose Games are LISTED ... but I didn't see him mention anything more than listing it. You would think that if he IS going to be there, he ... or the media ... would say.

Kirk

[LHSvaulter]

I realized that too, which is why I didn't say he will be competing.

[TVVAcoach]

According to USATF the list of vaulters is: Mark Hollis, Renaud Lavillenie, Tim Mack, Derek Miles & Rory Quiller. Women: Shuying Gao, Chelsea Johnson, Aleksandra Kiryashova, Jillian Schwartz, April Steiner, Jenn Stuczynski.

These are the vaulters you can choose on the "pick your team" web page.

[rainbowgirl28]

I am guessing Brad's not 100% healthy/ready, because no way would he choose Reno over Millrose if he was. $$$$

[rainbowgirl28]

USATF thinks Mack is favored to win, they're probably the only ones...

Olympic medalists Mack & Suhr favored in pole vault

2004 Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack will lead the field in the Fred Schmertz men's pole vault, where he'll be challenged by 2008 Olympic Games fourth-place finisher and two-time Millrose winner Derek Miles, who ended his 2009 campaign ranked #5 in the world. France's Renaud Lavillenie, the 2009 World Outdoor bronze medalist, will also be in the mix. In the Fred Schmertz women's pole vault, American record holder and 2008 Olympic Games and World Indoor Championships silver medalist Jenn (Stuczynski) Suhr will be favored over a talented field that includes 2009 World Outdoor Championships silver medalist Chelsea Johnson. The 2006 NCAA Indoor champion, Johnson earned her first top-ten world ranking when she finished her 2009 season ranked #9 by T&FN.

[KirkB]

USATF thinks Mack is favored to win, they're probably the only ones...

Some reporters/promoters ... and even the USATF(?) ... go by who's placed the highest in the Olympics ... no matter how long ago. [sigh] ... trying to hype them in order to sell more tix and/or more newspapers. [sigh] They can't be serious ... they have no clue! [sigh]

Based on last year's results ... and Lavillennie's indoor SB last week, I'd say ...

1. Lavillenie
2. Miles
3. Mack

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

I like Mark Hollis over Tim Mack. Mark's been jumping in meets, I haven't seen Tim in any yet.

I agree with Lavillenie first and Derek second.

FWIW, Derek will be hopping a redeye after the meet and heading over to Reno to coach his college vaulters!