By Frank Schweda, Rolling Meadows HS

2017 WINDY CITY POLE VAULT SUMMIT

Saturday March 4, 2017

Location: Rolling Meadows H.S. 2901 Central Rd. Rolling Meadows, IL

Vaulting begins at 4pm

This year’s Windy City Pole Vault Summit will have a different look than past years.  There will only be one returning State Champion from the three classes jumping.  The meet will only have one vaulter ranked amongst the top 25 in the national rankings for pole vault. 

However, the Summit will most certainly have several hungry up can coming vaulters who are looking to establish themselves as All-State contenders.  In its 16th year, the Windy City Pole Vault Summit will have many of the same great aspects that have brought in most of the state’s top vaulters year after year.  The DJ will keep the energy up. Jim Voyles will keep the crowd and vaulters informed and motivated as the event’s MC.  And just like every year, the goal of the Windy City Pole Vault Summit is to give those elite level vaulters an opportunity to jump high - chasing PR’s and to have an amazing experience. 

Junior Lauren Seaver of Normal University High School is looking to put herself on a path as a medal contender with some big jumps out at the Reno Pole Vault Summit in January. She cleared 12-4 in that meet and has the top performance in the state so far in 2017. Seaver should be the athlete to watch in the Girls side of the meet.  Alyssa Morello of Lake Zurich High School, Stephanie Jacobs of Freeburg High School, and Lila Wine of Oak Park-River Forest High School have jumped 10-10 or higher this indoor season and could be the athletes pushing Seaver.  The great thing about pole vault is you never know when someone is going to be on. When they are, you can see some big jumps out of nowhere!

The pit for the Boys competition should be the site of a very tight competition. That is if Zachery Bradford of Bloomington High School has a bad day.  The junior right now is the top vaulter in Illinois and on top of his game. He cleared 16-4 this January at the Reno Pole Vault Summit and last Monday cleared 16-0 at the Normal West Wildcat Invitational. The other athletes in this field will need to have some big jumps to get close to Bradford.  That group will be led by Lucas Weaver of Providence Catholic High School, Colton Weber of St. Charles East High School, and Sam Peschke of Crystal Lake South High School. All three of these athletes have cleared 14-6 or higher this season!

Past winners & their jumps:

BOYS

2002    Dave Viken        Rolling Meadows         14-0

2003    Dave Viken        Rolling Meadows        15-9

2004    Josh Grys        Pekin                 14-6

2005    Garrett Seager    Northrup H.S. ~ Fort Wayne, IN    14-9

2006    Jake Winder        Plainfield Central        16-7

2007    Mick Viken        Rolling Meadows        15-3

2008    Mick Viken        Rolling Meadows        16-6

2009    Mick Viken        Rolling Meadows        16-7.5

2010    Cody Klein         Sparta            16-6

2011    Eric Gordon        Normal Comm. West    14-9

2012    Eric Gordon        Normal Comm. West    15-6

2013    Tim Erhardt        Lake Park             15-7

2014    Luke Winder        Plainfield Central         17-2.5 **

2015    Andy Jatis        Providence Catholic    16-3

2016    Luke Nelson        Oak Park River Forest     15-0

GIRLS            

2002    Not Contested       

2003    Megan Rossi     Downers Grove South    10'6"

2004    Jamie Watanabe    Palatine            10'9"

2005    Taylor Troemel    Normal            12'3"

2006    Melissa Gergel    Marian Catholic        13'0"

2007    Melissa Gergel    Marian Catholic        12'0"

2008    Sarah Ross        H.D. Jacobs            11'3"

2009    Caley Faulkner    Naperville Central        11'6"

2010    Anna Etherington    Barrington            11'9"

2011    Emily Grove        Pontiac            12'9.5”

2012    Sarah Bell        Bloomington Central Catholic    12'3"

2013    Carley Schmidt    Lake Forrest            12'9"

2014    Morgan Zacharias     Reed Custer            12'6"

2015    Brooke Catherine    Normal Comm.        13'1" **

2016    Kassadee Ifft        Prairie Central         12'6"