Pole Vaulters bound by a common love for their sport

There's just something a bit... different about a pole vaulter.

"You have to be a kamikaze if you want to pole vault," Edcouch-Elsa junior April Benavides said. "You're going into the air with just a mat there. The pole could easily break. But you have to be strong-minded and certainly not scared."

They just aren't quite like the normal high school athlete. It's nothing bad, certainly not an insult. That's because of the different and unusual nature of their sport.

To win, they have to use what amounts to a long stick to propel them over another long stick, hanging about 14 feet in the air. Because of the oddity and basics of the sport, there's an element of danger, plus the feeling of exhilaration after success.
Oh, there's also that whole defying gravity thing, even for only a second or so.

"To me it's a very unique sport," said Edinburg Economedes senior Gavino Galvan, who qualified for state by finishing second at the regional meet. "It's just a matter of running and sticking a pole into the ground and trying to fly.

"It's a fiberglass pole that makes a man fly."

There aren't too many other sports where athletes can say that about their equipment, nor too many other sports where flying is a crucial element. Of course, danger is a big part of pole vaulting, as anything would be with that kind of height.

Add in the use of a flexible pole, and the sport probably doesn't qualify as one of the safest. It's certainly not an event for people who would rather stay on the ground and enjoy avoiding danger.

Edcouch-Elsa senior Roger Martinez, who finished first at regionals with a vault of 13-6, said a pole vaulter has to be "a little crazy."
"Because going up there and getting 16 feet up in the air is... yeah, you have to be a little crazy," Martinez said. "It's one of the most awesome feelings you'll ever experience if you do this."

Understandably, nerves can become a factor at this time of year, especially if an athlete is making their first trip to state. Benavides is experiencing that now.

Luckily, though, the nerves aren't caused by the nature of the sport, just where she's going to make her next vault.

"I wasn't nervous at first but as the days go by, it's getting closer so I'm getting a little nervous. I'm kind of anxious to get there, no pressure though," Benavides said. "I think my nerves are just going to get worse but I think I'll be able to control myself."

Good thing, because feeling nervous and pole vaulting don't really go together too well. To do this sport, there is a need to be somewhat insulated from what is going on, and nerves don't help that.

"You have to be sure of your jumps," Benavides said. "You can't be second-guessing it. If I'm going to go, I have to go full."
Brian Sandalow covers high school sports for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436 or via e-mail at bsandalow@themonitor.com.