Phoenix, AZ: The last eight years the Desert Vista Pole Vault team has been averaging about 35 athletes a year but this year with 24 boys and 19 girls, the team of 43 is the largest in the country. The team works well together with veteran team members nurturing younger athletes new to the event. "When my athletes are seniors they are expected to be the leaders and frequently are called upon to lead groups since we are so big," said pole vault coach Jeff Guy, whose top five girls rank in the top 5 on the Arizona leader board. He teaches the team to compete, not against each other, but within themselves.
Coach Guy has also set some pretty lofty goals for his girls team. "Our goal this year was to get 4 girls or perhaps 5 girls over 12 feet from the same high school."
And two weeks ago at the Queen Creek Invitational Heather Arseneau became the 4th jumper on the Desert Vista team to clear 12 feet in the pole vault by jumping 12-3. No other school in the country has ever accomplished such a feat but back in 2001 Atascadero High School in California, under coach Jan Johnon, came close with 3 girls breaking the 12 foot mark.
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