John Mike Super Article (PA)

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http://www.timesonline.com/site/news.cf ... 8568&rfi=6

Another Look - Jon Mike Super: Super is the only way to describe former Blackhawk pole vaulting record-setter
Bob Barrickman, Times Sports Correspondent
06/16/2005
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The Beaver County/western Allegheny County high school pole vault record has belonged to Jon Mike Super for the past 18 years.

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Super set the mark of 14 feet, 4 inches as a senior at Blackhawk High in 1987.

"I think it's amazing that no one has been able to beat the record," Super, 36, said.

A member of the Blackhawk track team for four seasons, Super improved his pole vault distance by approximately two feet each year. He rose from a mark of 8-6 as a freshman to his current record as a senior.

"When I was in high school, I went to some special camps for pole vaulting put on by Jan Johnson, the 1972 (Olympics) bronze medalist," Super said. "And even when it wasn't track season, I did special drills."

Super attended Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania and spent three seasons on the track and field team there. His best pole vault height while in college was 15 feet during his sophomore season.

Today, Super and his wife, Karen, live in Aliquippa. They have a daughter, Hannah Rae, 1 and a son, Colton, 4 months. Super, who has a degree in computer science, works for Guardian Protection Services in Robinson Township.

"We work with people who are building new homes," said Super, who has worked in home technology sales for 12 years. "We do the wiring and security for phone, cable and computers. We also deal in music, home theaters, intercoms and cameras."

After graduation from Blackhawk, Super was a member of the Beaver County Track Club and placed 13th in the National Junior Olympics in Nebraska.

Even those like Super who have excelled in the pole vault have those challenging days when they are hard pressed to reach decent heights.

"So much of it is mental," he said. "There are days when you can't quite convince yourself (to get high in the air) while running and holding on to a 14-foot pole sticking into the ground."

There has been much concern in recent years due to fatalities and other serious injuries caused from pole vaulting, mainly head and neck injuries. Though not required in Pennsylvania, more and more states now require pole vaulters to wear helmets.

"The head and neck injuries are the ones you hear about," Super said. "But I saw a lot more ankle injuries ... people going up in the air and trying to land on their feet but not coming down on the mat."

Super did offer some advice for pole vaulting safely.

"It is very important to have someone on site who is knowledgeable," he said. "Like a good coach who knows what they're doing. Pole vaulters should have a spotter, one who is standing at your point of takeoff from the ground."

"If you go up and stall and you know you're not going to make the mats, (a spotter) can step forward and give the pole a little bit of push or make an attempt to catch you. But because it's such a technical sport, there aren't a lot of coaches who really want to get into it."