Ron Walter Article (PA)

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05132/502576.stm

Baldwin's Walter hitting new heights as he shoots for pole vault crowns

Thursday, May 12, 2005

By Chris Adamski, Tri-State Sports & News Service

Ron Walter turned 18 last Friday, but the Baldwin High School senior had quite a Sweet 16 to celebrate three days later.

Walter became what is believed to be only the second WPIAL athlete to pole vault 16 feet when he accomplished that at the WPIAL Class AAA team championship at North Allegheny High School.

"I've been shooting for 16 feet for a while now," Walter said. "I've wanted it since last year."


Matt Freed, Post-Gazette
A moment like this: Baldwin senior Ron Walter is up and over 16 feet during the WPIAL championship at North Allegheny High School Monday.
Click photo for larger image.
Sixteen is a magical height in high school pole vaulting, particularly in Pennsylvania, where the PIAA championship meet mark is 16 feet, 1 inch, by Laban Marsh of Erie McDowell in 1997. According to Baldwin pole vault coach Paul Roth, the only WPIAL athlete to vault 16 feet was Mark Algeri of Hempfield in 1988.

Walter cleared the 16-foot bar on his school-record vault with room to spare, said Highlanders head coach Ed Helbig. Bob Reynolds of Baldwin (the current Duquesne University pole vault coach) holds the WPIAL championship meet record of 15-8 set in 1996.

If Walter duplicates his vault from Monday at the upcoming WPIAL and PIAA individual championships, he will be in the running for gold medals.

"I think that's a goal within reach and worth shooting for," said Roth. "And certainly it's something that he's talked about and something he would like to do. But a lot of things have to fall into pace for that happen."

One of the biggest obstacles will be Eric Sparks of District 10 Hickory High School. Sparks, the defending PIAA champion, won the Baldwin Invitational last Friday, setting a meet record of 16 feet. Walter was second at 15.

Pole vaulting is not an event that lends itself to predictability. While a sprinter or shot put thrower can be generally expected to perform at the same times or distances they do in practice, a pole vaulter has to deal with variables such as weather conditions.

Roth said it is not uncommon for a vaulter to "no-height," meaning he did not clear his opening bar.

"I usually try to get the meet record [at every meet he takes part in], but the last couple weeks have been real lousy out I and can't really go high too much," Walter said. "There might be rain or a headwind or something that might cause me not to be able to go very high."

Walter went to a larger 16-foot pole earlier this season. While, obviously, the taller the pole, the higher the possible vault, Walter had to adjust to what can be an unwieldy size.

The athlete must have additional speed and strength to compensate. It's no surprise former wrestlers and gymnasts make good pole vaulters.

"He's been working on the new pole all spring," Roth said.

"They come in different lengths and different resistance so you have to play around with trying to match the right pole with the right athlete. Very few kids are accomplished enough to even get on a 16-foot pole."

Said Walter: "You need to establish the mental comfort with the bigger poles. It can be intimidating."

Walter and the event of pole vaulting are a perfect match because of his tall stature, strength and foot speed. Recruited to the team by Baldwin's 2002 WPIAL pole vault champion, Paul Hecht, Walter likely took to vaulting because he had a fearlessness and body awareness from his days as a diver.

"The vault is an extremely athletic event," Roth said. "You're asking an athlete like Ron to be upside down while 16 feet in the air. Saying that you need someone who is reckless is probably not the proper term, but you want somebody that can overcome fear."

It's the most dangerous event in track. Knoch High School freshman Ryan Adler is currently in a rehabilitation center after he fell, head-and-shoulders-first, into the mats while attempting 9 feet in a meet last month. Adler had been mostly unconscious after the accident but reportedly has made steady progress.

Roth has been coaching Baldwin pole vaulters since the mid-1980's and has overseen four PIAA champions. Walter has cleared higher distances than them all.

"He knows a lot about pole vaulting and taught me everything," said Walter, who will vault at Pitt next year. "He's really good at just pushing you and making you feel confident doing it. I really am comfortable right now. I don't care that I [no-heighted] a couple times. It doesn't bother me."

Walter effectively lost an entire year when an injury to his right hip ended his junior season after only two meets. He vaulted 15-3 1/2 inches and won the Washington & Jefferson Invitational, but was shut down for the rest of the season.

There's no telling how high Walter could be vaulting now with an extra year of training. But he still is clearing higher distances than he was 14 months ago.

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http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05153/513853.stm

PG South: Baldwin pole vaulter good as gold indoors

Thursday, June 02, 2005

By Colin Dunlap, Tri-State Sports & News Service

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. -- When the competition moved inside, Baldwin senior pole vaulter Ron Walter raised the ceiling.

At the PIAA track and field championships Saturday, maintenance crews hurriedly disassembled the pole vault equipment at Seth Grove Stadium and assembled it inside, at nearby Henderson Gymnasium, when it started to rain and the winds picked up.

That's when Walter showed that it didn't matter if it were inside or outside, he was the best in the state. Clearing 15 feet, 6 inches, Walter won the Class AAA boys' pole vault, dueling Pennridge's Scott Sherwood, who cleared 15 feet.

"I did get a little excited when it was moved inside," Walter said. "It wouldn't have been a good day, with the wind and the rain and everything to have to have vaulted outside and the conditions inside are always ideal."

Walter failed in three attempts to break the meet record of 16-2, but, nonetheless, secured the title by a comfortable margin.

"We felt it all season long that he could hit 16 feet," Baldwin pole vault coach Paul Roth said. "He didn't have a lot of really good vaults in the dual meets, because we were experimenting with poles. It was just a matter of him figuring out where everything needed to be for him to be consistent on it."

At this time last year, there was some question as to whether Walter would ever vault again. A Pitt pole vault recruit, Walter's hip was injured last year and he missed much of the latter part of the season, dashing his chances at a PIAA title.

Roth was part of the contingent who had serious doubts he'd ever see Walter vault again.

"He was done, that was it," Roth said. "It was conceivable at that time that he may never vault again. We didn't know how it was going to heal. There was a decision to be made on whether to go through with surgery they had purposed or go through and let it heal. He opted to not have the surgery and his body was able to come around for him. He's thankful for that and so am I. His body just sort of found a way to mend itself and he was able to get back to competing."

In local high school track and field circles, Roth has earned a reputation as the top pole vaulting teacher around. And the numbers tell the story.

Last month, Walter became the 11th Baldwin pole vaulter -- boy or girl -- to win a WPIAL title since 1989. Saturday, he made his mark as the third Highlanders boys' vaulter to capture gold at the PIAA level.

Walter has all the necessary tools to be a stellar vaulter.

"I think he has, of all the vaulters that I have had, a collection of attributes that none of the other ones really had," Roth said of Walter, who is 6 feet 3, 175 pounds.

"We've had guys who were very tall, but their speed was not exceptional. We've had guys who could really run, but they weren't big enough. We've also had guys who weren't as good technically as it took to be a [PIAA] champion.

"But look at Ron: he is tall, very fast and athletic. That height, in combination with the speed and athletic ability is what makes him special."

In some ways, it also made him a WPIAL and PIAA champion, all in an eight-day span. By virtue of clearing 16 feet May 20, he earned a WPIAL title. In doing so, he also earned the top seed heading into the PIAA meet. A top seed he lived up to.

"There is definitely a different mindset when you're the No.1-ranked guy," Roth said.

"Yes, we came in and he was expected to win and to be honest with you, I expected him to. I also expected for him to set a new state record because I knew he had that much in him. It is different from kids who are just happy to be here and then kids who are hoping to medal and then a kid like Ron who knows, 'Hey, I'm expected to win the gold medal.' "

Walter was just as confident as his coach.

"I was supposed to win," he said. "It would have been bad if I didn't."