Viken, Ryan are latest Rolling Meadows vault standouts (IL)

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Mustangs in pole position, again
Viken, Ryan are latest Rolling Meadows vault standouts poised to contend at state meet


Mick Viken almost was born to be a pole vaulter.

Andy Ryan still sounds a bit surprised he wound up with a pole in his hands.


What's not surprising is that Rolling Meadows has two of the top vaulters in the state. The Mustangs have cranked out pole vault stars as reliably as the Cubs have given us damaged pitchers, but they have never had two this good at the same time.

Mick is the third of three standouts named Viken. His brother Don finished fourth in the Class AA state track meet in 2000. His brother Dave, now a senior vaulter at Notre Dame, was fourth in 2002 and second in 2003.

Mick placed ninth last year as a freshman at 14 feet 6 inches. He has been a pole vault rat since Don started vaulting, and he began doing it himself the summer before he entered 6th grade.

"It was something I wanted to try for a long time and maybe have the success my brothers did," he said.

Forget maybe. In the Illinois Prep Top Times Indoor Classic on March 31, Viken cleared a personal record 16 feet to win the event and establish himself as one of the country's most promising young pole vaulters.

Ryan, a senior, was third at 15-6, tying the personal record he set as a junior. He might have cleared 16 feet himself outdoors last spring, but about a year ago he dislocated his left elbow and tore an artery after losing his grip on the pole during a practice attempt.

Emergency surgery saved the arm, leaving an angry-looking scar on the inside of the elbow. You would figure the incident would have left a worse scar on his psyche, but Ryan was back in the air in December, with only a few butterflies to show for his mishap.

"I wanted to get back as soon as I could," he said. "I was curious to see if I could do it."

Rolling Meadows head coach Jim Voyles was less curious than amazed.

"After the injury he had, most people would never do it again," said Voyles, himself a former vaulter. "He's got to be one tough kid."

Ryan never figured to vault in the first place. He showed up at track camp the summer before his freshman year as a high jumper, but Voyles, then an assistant boys coach, suggested he try the pole vault.

Ryan picked up the event quickly, finishing ninth in the state meet as a sophomore, but given his athletic ability that's no surprise. In the Mid-Suburban League East Division meet Monday, he tied for first with Viken in the pole vault and ran on the victorious 4 x 400-meter relay team.

He also competed in the high jump and ran a respectable 42.9 seconds in the 300 intermediate hurdles even though it was his debut in the event, he hadn't practiced it and he had to use a somersault to regain his balance and finish after he hit the third-to-last hurdle.

Ryan, who has some high-hurdle experience, tried the 300 event again Friday night in the Mustang Classic Invitational and finished third in 41.4.

His versatility extends beyond the track. In soccer last fall, he was a Tribune All-State special mention goalkeeper. He signed a track letter of intent with Western Illinois in November but also will play soccer there.

Viken is not exactly a specialist himself, also competing in the long jump and sprint relays. Last fall he was a starting varsity wide receiver and defensive back in football, and last winter he qualified for the state swimming meet as a diver.

That's quite a load in this so-called age of specialization, but Viken's full plate, and especially his football strength and conditioning work, has helped make him a better vaulter by increasing his runway speed.

"He's completely different from last year in the sense that football has made him quicker," Rolling Meadows pole vault coach John Lemke said. "The lifting … all the stuff they do. He wasn't really quick last year."

Viken's 16-foot jump beat his previous personal record by six inches and put a bull's-eye on him, but he doesn't seem to mind.

"It helps to motivate me," he said. "I have no plans to stop at 16 feet. It is a little bit of pressure, but I like it."


Lemke is a major reason for Rolling Meadows' pole vault success. Although he never vaulted himself, he has helped produce seven boys and two girls state medal-winners since arriving at the school in 1985.

Two of those athletes were runners-up, but Lemke has not produced a state champ yet. He could go 1-2 this spring, though Kaneland senior Sam Kranz, third last year, leads a few other title contenders.

Ryan and Viken are fierce competitors, but friendly rivals who literally push each other to greater heights.

"When he jumped 16, I was mad at myself," Ryan said. "At the same time I was proud to see it happen.

"I was pretty excited, but I wanted to do better … one-up him."

The two are terrific athletes with a knack for the pole vault, but it's their work habits that make them state title threats.

"Mick is a technician," Voyles said. "He watches video at home and breaks it down."

"Andy doesn't like to cut corners," Lemke added. "He makes sure he does everything in a workout.

"They both kind of know what it takes to be there at the end."