I got into HealthQuest a little early today and shot some video.  First up is the exercise that I’ve been doing to get my upper body stronger for throwing the shot put.  I’m using a leg machine, but I think it really comes close to mimicking the arm angles you use when you throw…the hand is in next to your jaw, the palm is up, and the elbow is out.  The best thing about it for me is that I can do it without any pain in my shoulder.  The pressing motion usually doesn’t bother me much, but with free weights I always get into trouble when I’m picking them up or putting them down.  This keeps me locked into the pressing motion:

I also went ahead and filmed a couple of other exercises I’ve been doing.    The first one is a modified pull-up, and having a strong back is one of the requirements of pole vaulting:

The next one is a core exercise that hits just about everything, the abs, the obliques, and the lower back:

I finished the morning off by running four 800 meter intervals on the treadmill.  I ran them at the same speed as last time (10.5 mph) but I was able to reduce my rest periods between the runs by 1-2 minutes.  I was able to finish all of these on 3 minutes rest.  Tomorrow will be a leg day with some light cardio, and that will wrap up the month of November.

If you were paying attention, and I’ll assume that you were, as hanging on my every word is quite unavoidable, you’ll notice where I called this page a sports site. This is only partially true (you’ll find, as we go forward, that partial truths are one of my many fortes, along with sneaky lies, eloquent hyperbole, and expertly placed scorn). In addition to sports, I will also be covering games. To deal with issues of server space and short attention spans, the two have been amalgamated under the catch-all phrase “sports” in such a way that they’ve lost all distinction. Well, I’m here to set the record straight… which should have been listed amongst my fortes… setting the record straight. I’m very good at it.

And actually, the distinction is quite simple to understand… and here’s the litmus test; if a fat 60 year old can do it moderately well, it’s not a sport, it’s a game. Simple as that.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

But first, let’s start by saying I’m not going to mention anything that’s so obviously a game that its’ combatants won’t even complain at having it called so. These include poker, backgammon, Madden challenge, Scrabble, spelling bees, etc… These have at most a very little physical aspect to them, and thus don’t qualify as a sport under any definition of the world. Plus, a fat 60 year old, after some practice, could be the best in the world at any of them.

American Football – Sport. Clearly, our fat 60 year old could strap on a helmet and shoulder pads and proceed to play the game, but this is where the “moderately well” portion of our litmus test comes into play. I would also recommend a stretcher, ambulance, priest and his loved ones be nearby.

Archery - Game. Games can be broken down into two categories… strictly mental games, like the ones mentioned above (Poker, Backgammon, etc…), or games that combine both mental and physical aspects. Alas, when it comes to archery’s physicality, we’re talking hand-eye coordination (true of many games) and average levels of strength. A fat 60 year old can handle those aspects.

Australian Rules Football – Sport. I would, though, like to see our fat 60 year old in one of these. Wait, no I wouldn’t. Forget I said that.

Auto Racing – Game. Let’s be honest here… the cars are the athletes. They’re the ones competing in a sport. The drivers, not so much. Yes, it’s physically and mentally demanding… but can you really sit there and tell me, perched on your high chair like you most certainly are, that a fat 60 year old couldn’t win one race, let alone do moderately well? Already, Mark Martin of Nascar fares quite well at age 50, and the oldest winner was 52. Formula one’s oldest winner was 53. And we’ve got a fat guy that regularly wins in Tony Stewart. Would he win? Probably not. Could he do moderately well? Definitely.

Badminton – Sport. Yes, our fat 60 year old, depending on what strata of society he finds himself within, might play regularly… probably with regular breaks for tea and judging people. But put that same fat 60 year old in a competitive environment, and he loses every time. There’s nothing “moderately well” about that.

Baseball – Sport. Baseball’s one of the trickier ones to call, actually. Most players are involved in a sport, but pitchers, particularly those pansies from the American League (what with the designated hitter rule), might be playing a game. We’ve seen plenty of successful fat guys… C.C. Sabathia, David Wells, Bartolo Colon, Jumbo Brown… most of them pitchers (though certainly the aforementioned designated hitter and first base are prone to successful fat guys, like Cecil Fielder, and John Kruk)… but could our 60 year old do it, at least moderately well? Maybe, but he’d have to be pretty special. And since most baseball players qualify as athletes playing a sport (unless you could see our fat 60 year old chase down a fly ball, or steal second… I don’t), we’ll call baseball a sport.

Basketball – Sport. Through and through. Even if our fat 60 year old was 7′4″, he still wouldn’t hold up, and that’s saying something.

Bobsleigh – Game. Any activity where gravity does the most work is a game. That fact should maybe be at the top, but at least it’s here. A fat person actually benefits from these kinds of games. As a matter of fact, until the governing body instituted a weight-limit rule in 1952, bobsleigh crews were very heavy. It should also be noted that bobsleigh inverse to baseball, as the pusher might actually be playing a sport, at least at the start of the race. This is of course before the gravity takes over, and it’s the pusher’s job to get the sled moving. But for most of the race, all members of the team are playing a game, hence, its’ designation here.

Bossaball – Sport. And a wild one at that. And just look at that photo (you’ll have to hover over “bossaball” to see it)… if any of you know a fat 60 year old that could even do that without gravely injuring him/herself, I want their name and number. I have an idea for a viral video. Oh, and if you want to know just what the hell bossaball is, check this out.

Boules – Game. Uh, yeah. This one’s obvious, right? From a class of games that includes Bocce, Lawn Bowling, Petanque, Boule Lyonaisse, Klootschieten and Varpa… games seemingly specifically created for the elderly (but fun nonetheless).

Bowling – Game. Again, no questions here, right? If so, just head to your local bowling alley. You’ll see plenty of fat, drunk 60 year olds bowling in the 200’s regularly. Not a sport.

Boxing – Sport. This one’s a bit thorny. George Foreman, at this very moment, is a fat 60 year old (ironic for a man synonymous with the Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine, but I digress). Could he really not fare at least moderately well in the ring today? Probably so… but this one comes with a caveat. The only way this could work is in the heavyweight division, where lumbering, plodding heavy punchers will always have a place. You can be all of those things as a fat 60 year old. In no other weight class would this be plausible. So on the whole, boxing’s a sport, whether the heavyweight division is a game or not.

Competitive Dance – Sport. So us macho types, like, for instance, myself, don’t like to admit that dance is a sport. But step back and take a look at it… extreme athleticism? Check. Very competitive? Check. Exclusion of fat 60 year olds? That’s a big fat check. And those of you who have been to a competitive dance… uh… competition?… and seen the merciless backstabbing and cutthroat sabotage that regularly unfolds know damn well that this is no game.

Cricket – Sport. The art of bowling sets cricket apart from baseball. As opposed to the standstill throw a pitcher delivers, the bowler’s is a violent, full-body action with an extended run-up that would certainly throw out the backs of most fat 60 year olds. Even the act of batting is more involved, as batsmen have been known to switch sides of the wicket while the bowler is in his run-up (this would be akin to a right-handed batter jumping over home plate to bat left-handed during a pitcher’s windup). No easy feat, and no place for a fat 60 year old to tread.

Curling – Game. There’s nothing about this game that a fat 60 year old couldn’t handle. They might be the best in the world at it, for all I know.

Cycling – Sport. A fat 60 year old in spandex? We don’t think so.

Darts – Game. One of the few games where being a fat 60 year old is an advantage.

Decathlon/Heptathlon/Pentathlon – Sport. This would, of course, be the end of our fat 60 year old. We had some good times, fat 60 year old. We’ll always remember you.

Disc Golf – Game. Another addendum; if stoners, hippies and other movement-reluctant bums fancy it, it’s a game.

Discus Throw – Game. The actual throwing of the discus any fat 60 year old could handle, and while some of them might be hilariously awful, some could reach the “moderately well” threshold… that’s the rub. It’s the leadup to the toss that gets a bit dicey. Most athletic 25 years olds will end up on their ass following it… and a fat 60 year old? He’ll get vertigo… unless… he/she was already an experienced discus thrower. A former champion, let’s say. Could he/she still fare moderately well? Of course.

Diving – Game. Here’s the thing… at the elite level, yes, diving is heavily populated by 15 year old, 58 pound Asians. But tack on 45 years and 200 pounds to those same Asians… and splashy, cannonball-esque entry aside, could they not at least fare reasonably well in a diving competition? I think so, yes.

Downhill Skiing – Sport. OK, let me explain. Yes, gravity plays a major role here, in fact, it’s the agent propelling the skier down the hill. But what sets downhill skiing apart from say the bobsleigh or the luge is that the skiier must use his/her athleticism against gravity, to turn, sometimes sharply. Without the ability to do so, the ability to fare, oh, I don’t know, let’s say moderately well, goes down the tubes. Our fat 60 year old would be carried faster than most down the hill, thanks to the “fat” part, would his/her 60 year old muscles be able to turn him/her appropriately? We have our doubts.

Equestrian – Game. Again, who’s the athlete here? Is it the person riding the horse, or the horse doing all the work? The horses are certainly competing in a sport… the person sitting on the horse? Not so much. Though we will admit that we certainly feel for the horse that has a fat 60 year old on its’ back.

Fencing – Game. We’ll admit, fencing takes incredible instincts and quickness, and the reflexes of a… uh…. well, something that has really fast reflexes. So we’re under no illusion that a fat 60 year old could be a champion. But let’s say renowned champion Sergei Golubitsky hits 60 and has let himself go a little (or a lot, whatever picture you throw into that head of yours). Were he to enter a competition, could he not fare at least moderately well? It says here he could.

Figure Skating – Sport. Unless points were awarded for sliding along the ice on your ass or stomach, our fat 60 year old would stand no chance here. None at all. Though, this does give me an idea. Who wouldn’t pay money to watch fat 60 year olds attempt some of these advanced moves. It’d be a train wreck, and train wrecks make good televsion… hmmmmm…. We’d have to come up with some appropriate clothing, but yeah, I think I could make it work.

Fishing/Angling – Game. Go watch your local fishing tournament this weekend. Take note of the number of people that aren’t fat 60 year olds. Now, nod in agreement with me.

Gaelic Football – Sport. A fat 60 year old would spend the entire game getting embarrassed, thus causing him, if he’s Irish (as we would expect, if he’s playing Gaelic Football), to pick a fight with every player on the pitch, followed by that particularly intoxicating brand of Irish violence… utter chaos, generally speaking… which would subsequently lead to everyone getting drunk together and singing songs. Stereotypical? You betcha… but I’ve lived it. And stereotypes exist for a reason, right?

Golf – Game. First, it’s a favorite of fat 60 year olds. Second, you could easily see one heating up and shooting a 70 on the same day Tiger Woods shoots a 72. An activity where you could play better than the world’s best? That’s a game, my friends. Let’s put that same fat guy up against Lebron James in a game of one-on-one. Does he ever win? Of course not. If we tied one of James’ arms behind his back, does the fat 60 year old ever win? Of course not. I believe I’ve eagled this one.

Gymnastics – Sport. OK, picture the fat 60 year old, and let’s go with a male. Now… and this won’t be easy… picture him in a unitard. Get past it, you can do it. OK, good. Now, picture him going through a routine on the pommel horse. How many times did he crush his nuts? 30? 40? No, this is no place for a fat 60 year old.

Hammer Throw – Game. Like the discus throw, the problem lies in the lead up to the throw. And like the discus throw, most people would end up on all fours attempting such a thing, with probably a vertigo supplementation for our fat 60 year old. But, like the discus, an experienced discus thrower who just happens to be fat and 60 could fare moderately well… thus… it’s a game.

Handball – Sport. Like many sports, a fat 60 year old could play handball, and like all of them, against decent competition, he’d get embarrassed to the point of taking up shuffleboard.

Hockey – Sport. Whether it be the ice or the field variety, the end results are the same. Our fat 60 year old hospitalized, probably with a feeding tube and catheter. It wouldn’t be pretty.

Horse Racing – Game. A great sport for horses, a decent game for humans. Again, how is this a sport for jockeys? Actually, let’s put it this way, if the real athlete in the sport (the horse) would be better off without human involvement (you know, faster without something on its’ back), then it’s no sport for humans. There. And yes, we’d need a very special, strong horse for our fat 60 year old, but there’s one out there that could lead it to a moderately decent finish.

Hurling – Sport. And one I’m not sure should be legal. Picture, Americans, a combination of baseball, soccer and handball. That’s right, they run around with what amounts to baseball bats in their hands, freely swinging them on the field of battle, with others all around them. Hence the helmets. I don’t think we should allow our fat 60 year old to even try this one. Let’s move on.

Hydroplane Racing – Game. Another sport where the humans are just controlling the athletes… in this case, crazy-fast boats. And another one a fat 60 year old would fancy his chances in. He might even prevent things like this from happening, what with the extra weight and all.

Jai Alai – Sport. I don’t think “the fastest sport in the world” is any place for a fat 60 year old. I don’t know, maybe that’s just me, but I’m gonna go ahead and give this one the sport nod, and move on, thus saving the life of our fat 60 year old, in all probability. Ed Honcho, hero.

Javelin Throw – Game. As with most throwing sports, where your average fat 60 year old wouldn’t be able to compete, one with experience should be able to at least fare moderately well. Hence the designation as a game. They are the Olympic Games, after all, right?

Jumping – Sport. This includes the High Jump, Long/Broad Jump and Triple Jump, not to mention certain obstacles for fat 60 year olds… namely, the whole jumping part.

Luge – Game. This falls under our aforementioned gravity rule (see: bobsleigh). Our 60 year old’s girth would do nothing but help him/her. Sure, he/she might end up in the hospital, but that’s true of thin 26 year olds as well.

Martial Arts – Sport. Unlike boxing’s heavyweight division, there are very few plodding, heavy hitters when it comes to any discipline of the martial arts. My recommendation to our fat 60 year old? Start tapping out as soon as the competition begins. I’m tired of these hospital bills. It’s starting to add up.

Motorcycle Racing – Game. Again, and maybe I should just put this on repeat. The humans here aren’t the real athletes. The motorcycles are. They’re the ones competing in a sport. The humans… simply enjoying their game. And sure, your average 60 year old would struggle… but a former motorcyle jockey who spent 10 years gorging on Tastykakes? He could fare, you guessed it, moderately well.

Netball/Korfball – Sport. Very similar to basketball, though not quite as arduous physically as one’s movement is restricted. Thus, at amateurish levels, a fat 60 year old could hold his/her own. But once we start to creep into the levels of “moderately decent”, the fat 60 year old falls short.

Orienteering/Rogaining – Game. Navigation-based competitions will always fall into the category of games, for obvious reasons, the most clear being that many fat 60 year olds already participate, and can certainly fare at least moderately well. The “fat” part undoubtedly doesn’t help, as these competitions are all on foot, but this deficiency can be made up for in other areas.

Pole Vault – Sport. The mere idea of a fat 60 year old attempting the pole vault has me sitting in my chair laughing my ass off (or SIMCLMAO, from here forward). This is no game.

Polo – Game. This is a combo event between the horse and the human, with the horse playing a sport and the human playing a hand-eye-coordination-based game. Our fat 60 year old could play this game, with a big enough horse, and play it quite well.

Racewalking – Game. This one just feels like a game, doesn’t it? It’s got that game funk all over it. And I’m not coming at this from a “what’s shoved up those guys asses?” point of view either. Nope. I know they’re great at what they do, and it takes talent. It’s just, what’s the ceiling on speed if you’re walking? And what’s the ceiling on speed if you’re a former racewalking champ who’s put on a few and 60 years old? Are they that far apart? That’s the thing. The slower racewalking speeds allow for the discrepancies in time to remain close, as opposed to running, where the difference increases exponentially. Thus, our fat 60 year old can log his/her moderately well and move on with his/her life.

Rock Climbing/Bouldering – Sport. Yeah, our guy would be dead. Fat and rock climbing/bouldering go together like…. uh, fat and… modeling. I don’t know. Two things that don’t go together very well. Cut me some slack, I’ve run out of coffee.

Rowing – Game. This one’s not so easy. Could a fat 60 year old row well. Yes, and with great power. Would his/her girth keep him/her from our “moderately well” standard? We say no, not if he/she were an experienced rower. This one definitely toes the border between sport and game, though. But hey, the rules are the rules… hard and fast. Just like me. Except for fast. Sometimes… depends what we’re talking about. Let’s just move on.

Rugby – Sport. Sure, Rugby (both League and Union) has its’ fat guys, but they’re not really fat guys, they’re just sports fat guys. You know, the kind of guy that drinks all night and doesn’t pay any attention to what he puts in his body… fish & chips, meat pies, etc… But they’re not really fat, not by society’s standards, at least. They’re just sports fat. Our 60 year old is society fat, plus, you know, he’s 60. He might hold his own in a scrum, but otherwise, it’s back to the hospital with him.

Running – Sport. Including sprints, marathons, hurdles, etc… And we’re moving on.

Sailing – Game. Now, we certainly don’t want to downplay what they do, but could a fat 60 year old be part of a winning team? You betcha. Could he win an individual competition? Unlikely, but could we expect him to do reasonably well? Were he a former champion, yes, we could. And I’m sticking with it, no matter how many hateful emails I get.

Shooting – Game. Encompassing sporting clays, skeet and trap shooting, our fat 60 year old is already moving into the semifinals.

Shot Put – Game. Our fat 60 year old is excited to try this one out. No running, no jumping, just sheer strength. And it says here they’ll fare at least moderately well.

Shuffleboard – Game. Funny story, our fat 60 year old is actually the reigning world shuffleboard champion. True story.

Skateboarding – Sport. We’re eagerly anticipating our fat 60 year old’s turn on the half-pipe. We’re guessing the judges don’t throw the term “moderately well” around. Maybe something more along the lines of “OH MY GOD! CALL 9-1-1!!!”

Ski Jump – Game. The ski jump, as opposed to downhill skiing, requires very little active resistance to gravity. Gravity hurls it’s participants down the ramp, a small, quick, powerful burst of the legs when the ramp turns up, then it’s all about holding your form. Our fat 60 year old, a former ski jumper, could handle this sort of thing, and his performance would be deemed “moderately well,” grammar be damned.

Snowboarding – Sport. And this includes virtually every form of snowboarding sport there is, whether it be boardercross, halfpipe, big air, slopestyle or simply racing. Now, some of them do start to creep into game territory… for instance, our fat 60 year old could get good air, and maybe perform enough tricks to fare moderately well… but we doubt it. And the rest of the events would leave him/her at the ski lodge in a full body cast… so yeah, we’re going sport.

Speed Skating – Sport. It’s a matter of sheer physics, really. As our fat 60 year old made a turn, provided he/she had any sort of speed built up, the centrifugal force would carry him/her into the boards, everytime… partly because their mass would be difficult to stop/turn, and also because their older legs wouldn’t be able to do it. I like to call it the “law of hilarious crashes where hopefully nobody gets hurt”. I am having some trouble getting it to stick. Maybe you guys can help me out? Spread the word. Spread the love.

Soccer/Football/Calcio/Futbol – Sport. Sure, lots of fat 60 year olds play soccer, but have you watched them? Let’s just say that their version is a sedentary one, rife with mis-kicks, hand-balls, shin-shots, beer and singing. OK, so it’s not that much different than the EPL… but just enough that our fat 60 year old narrowly fails the test.

Softball – Game. Though really, the way women play it, it’s a sport. But the way the vast majority of people play it, it’s barely a game. More like a mixer, or a party, or something between grilling and horseshoes. Our fat 60 year old is right at home.

Surfing – Sport. First of all, fat, in the surfing world, means shark food. Second, well, let’s go back to physics. The best surfers don’t sit too far down in the water. They skim the surface. Fat means skimming becomes more difficult… means jumps don’t look as good… means tubes aren’t properly navigated… means “moderately well” is out of the picture.

Swimming – Sport. Unless you consider drowning a success, in which case, you need to go talk to someone. Seriously.

Table Tennis – Game. To play at the highest level, with the best of the best, you cannot be fat, or 60. It takes hummingbird-like reflexes that, let’s face it, have left our fat 60 year old over time. But to play the game moderately well? Our fat 60 year old can handle that, especially if he/she has history in the game.

Tennis – Sport. It’s like table tennis, if the table were expanded to 10 times it’s normal size and you got on top of it. This means 10 times more ground to cover for our fat 60 year old. That’s about 9 times too much.

Triathlon – Sport. Maybe if the swim were 25 yards, the bike 1/4 of a mile, and the run 30 steps… maybe, our fat 60 year old could fight his/her way into the “moderately well” category. Anything more and he/she suffers a stroke.

Ultimate Frisbee – Sport. That’s right. Ultimate has moved out of the realm of hippies and stoners and been taken over by real athletes. The amount of athleticism required to catch the many errant throws that occur alone dooms our fat 60 year old (and if you don’t believe me, check out the photo if you hover over “ultimate frisbee”, or this one).

Volleyball – Sport. If we’re talking water volleyball, our 60 year old might stand a chance. But beach, or indoor? Uh, no. Even if he/she were 7′0″ tall, his/her lack of quicks would doom him/her. Plus, that’s not even an insurmountable heighth these days when it comes to volleyball. No, we’re quite sure our fat 60 year old would be humiliated.

Water Polo – Sport. Treading water is an underestimated exercise. It’s exhausting. Trust me. Ed Honcho spent his formative years as a lifeguard (what did you expect?), where part of the certification process was to hold a brick over your head and tread water for 1 minute. Go ahead and try it, we’ll wait… no? Pansies. What you’d find is that it’s not the sort of thing a fat 60 year old should be attempting under any circumstances, brick or no. Though, I will admit, it might come in handy during a lifeguard certification class, as you would most certainly be dragging them off the bottom of the pool, maybe putting them on a backboard, and potentially administering a little mouth-to-mouth. Three birds with one stone. I’m surprised they haven’t thought of this one yet. What I’m not surprised about, is that I have.

Waterskiing – Sport. Have you seen some of the things these people do? Yes? Can you imagine a fat 60 year old doing any of them? Yes, but only poorly, and quickly followed by a horrible wipeout? Me too!

Weightlifting – Game. Plenty of fat people excel at weightlifting… remember, fat people can be very strong, whether they be 20, 40, 60 or 80 years old.

Wrestling – Sport/Game. Truly, in wrestling moreso than any other sport, it depends on the discipline. Freestyle or Collegiate wrestling is a sport. Fat 60 year olds would get twisted into pretzels. Greco-Roman wrestling is a game, since it relies almost solely on upper body strength, which a fat 60 year old might have in spades… or, at least enough to fare moderately well. Submission wrestling is a sport, as a fat 60 year old wouldn’t have the speed to contain someone at the top of their game… not to mention someone at an average level of their game. Arm wrestling is a game, which should be patently obvious to anyone but the dullest of minds. Sumo wrestling is a sport, as, though our 60 year old is fat… that gives him no advantages. Instead, it’s about quickness at that size, something that puts our 60 year old at a decided disadvantage. And, of course, professional wrestling is neither a game or a sport, it’s what we like to call “acting” in the business.

So there you have it… I would normally spend the next few hours waxing poetic about my prophetic… ness. But it does appear as if our fat 60 year old is in need of immediate attention. What do eyes rolled back in the head usually mean? Is that bad? Yeah. OK, I gotta go. Spread the word people. Let’s make this stuff fact. Oh, and if you want to send any particularly hateful emails my way, sure, I can take it. Just send it to icanbesurprisinglysensitive@edhoncho.com. Yo.

Olympic gold medalist and World Record Holder

On 22 July 2005 Yelena Isinbaeva became the first woman to clear the historic 5.00 meter (16.4 feet) barrier in pole vault.

At the age of 27 Isinbaeva has been a nine-time major champion (Olympic, World outdoor and indoor champion and European outdoor and indoor champion).

Isinbaeva’s current world records are 5.06 m outdoors, a record Isinbaeva set in Zurich on August 28, 2009, and 5.00 m indoors, a record set at the Donetsk indoor meeting on 15 February 2009. The former was Isinbaeva’s twenty-seventh world record.

World's Best - Yelena Isinbaeva

Steve Hooker deservedly won the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) Athlete of the Year award on Friday evening for his remarkable performance in the pole vault at the World Championships earlier in the year.

Justin Eveson from Wheelchair basketball won the Athlete with a disability of the year award, and ruffled a few feathers when he accepted his award, stating to the packed house that as honoured as he was to win, the athletes with disabilities would love to be judged in the same category as the overall athletes of the year award nominees.

To back this up, and not to take anything away from cyclist Luke Durbridge’s success in winning the junior athlete of the year award it was very sad not to see Madison de Rozario included in the finalists for her remarkable efforts. After having spent six months on her back having rods inserted in her spine she participated Australian Paralympic Youth Games and won 5 gold medals in the six events she entered. The one in which she won silver was the 800m which was held just 30 minutes after she had won gold in the 5000m.

Currently the WAIS Athlete of the Year Award is based on athletic performance in open unrestricted competition. This means that athletes with a disability are not eligible. To take part in Paralympic sport you must have a disability, and therefore have restrictions, hence you are ineligible.

All other State Institutes of Sport (as well as the AIS) or Academies of Sport have integrated and inclusive awards, where athletes with a disability (AWD’s) vie for recognition against able-bodied athletes, based purely on their athletic performance.

On many occasions the Athletes with a Disability have actually won the award and some examples of this in 2008 are:
Heath Francis – AIS Joint Winner of Athlete of the Year
Evan O’Hanlon – AIS Junior Athlete of the Year
Matthew Cowdrey – SASI – Male Athlete of the Year
Dylan Alcott – VIS Junior Athlete of the Year
Kurt Fearnley – NSWIS International Athlete of the Year

It is hoped that WAIS will review their criteria to make it all inclusive, and the fact that Steve Lawrence, Executive Director of WAIS sought out Justin on the night and acknowledged that this needed to be looked at, is a very positive move.

After all these athletes train just has hard as able-bodied athletes, and are just as skilled as able-bodied athletes, so there should be no reason why they cannot win an award against able-bodied athletes based purely on their results.

Head down to Herb Graham Recreation Centre and watch the Perth Wheelcats in action and you will witness not only the wonderful skills of Justin Eveson, one of the best wheelchair basketballers in the World, but the other talent on show, and you will be amazed at their athleticism.

As Justin made quite clear on the night being a finalist in the open award would mean more to him than winning an award limited to athletes with a disability.

To be judged on even terms would also raise the profile of these athletes and their sports to encourage more to participate in sport. Which has to benefit all concerned doesn’t it?

Just a reminder to our followers

Bobby Low is going pro.

In 1996, Bobby Low went to his first national track and field championships competing in the polevault.  The qualifying height was 8 feet and that was Bob’s best jump.

In 2009, Bob finished his collegiate career as an All-American for BYU in the polevault, with a career best of 17’11 and nationally ranked in the top 5 in the country.  His  4^th NCAA outdoor championship garnered him a 3^rd place finish.

Bobby will continue to compete on the elite level starting with the 2010 indoor US season and the ultimate goal of competing for the 2012 Olympic team.

Leaving the comfort of collegiate competition leaves many up and coming athletes without sponsors and faced with funding their own training, travel and equipment which for a pole-vaulter is very expensive.

Track and fields middle class is finding sponsorship harder to come by as corporate revenues subside.  This decline has left athletes like Bobby, dependent on alternative sources, friends, and family to fund his training for the world stage.

For the 2010 season, Bob is accepting donations and sponsorship funds that will meet the estimated $ 30,000 in costs.  Your contribution will be allocated for expenses such as; vaulting poles, shipping of poles to events, travel expenses and entry fees.  Even though the competition season doesn’t start until Jan of 2010, poles must be special ordered and be ready as soon as possible and travel arrangements must be made in advance.

In this challenging economy, we want to support Bob in his efforts and want you to know all contributions – big or small are greatly appreciated.  We will be happy to have a conversation with any corporate sponsor concerning promotional benefits for their sponsorship, which includes branding and promotional speaking.

Go to Bob’s website to donate www.bobbylow.org

Click on the DONATE button

Thanks to Allison Stokke, I think I have found a sport I can actually pay attention too.

Although she didn’t win Spike’s Guys Choice in the Sexiest Athletes category, she still wins in my book. Oh well Allison, maybe next year!

For the seventh time this year Kate Dennison has beaten her own British pole vault record at a meeting in Szczecin, Poland.

The cold fourth edition of Pedro’s Cup meet, which took place yesterday in Szczecin’s Wieslaw Maniak Stadium, once again boasted an impressive lineup of major names from Britain.

25-year-old Dennison cleared the 4.60m post to better her own record by two centimeters, coming third overall.

The Sale Harriers athlete broke fellow team GB vaulter, Janine Whitlock’s record earlier in the year at the UK trials.

By Matt Horan

The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ longest recorded teaching, and it does nothing short of turn the world upside down.  The beatitudes teach that the poor will be rich, that the meek will be in charge, that the humble will be lifted up.  He praises those who make peace—not those who live off of political partisanship.  He praises the persecuted, the mourning, the pure, and the merciful.  He casts vision for the Kingdom of God, and to the chagrin of the political players of the day, it looks nothing like the visions that they were casting for their own cause.

After the beatitudes, Jesus addresses some the Ten Commandments—the foremost of the Jewish Law.  As the Jews bickered about what it took to be acceptable, as they argued back and forth for their own gain about who the authority on Judaism should be, Jesus continued to cast a new vision.  They were intended to create a community of love and sharing and compassion and respect and honor.  They were not intended to be legalistic hoops to jump through—they were to be the symptoms of a people whose heart belonged to God.  But that’s not what they’d become by the time Jesus arrived.

Now they were a collection of bare minimums.  “What does it take to be holy enough?”  “What do I have to do to be socially or politically acceptable?”  “How can I maintain my membership in Judaism?”  Religion had actually become a business—outside the temple people were selling things that could then be taken in to be sacrificed.  People were profiting off of the sins that needed atonement. No wonder Jesus drove them out of the Temple in disgust!

Listen to how refreshing the voice of Jesus is.  He says to us, don’t ask, “What is necessary?”  Ask, “What is possible?”  How might I obey God more fully?  How might I be more a part of God’s Kingdom?  Don’t murder?  Don’t steal?  Don’t lie?  Go to church for an hour on Sunday?  I have friends who will tell me, “Well, I went to a wedding this weekend.  That counts as church, right?”  There is something so wrong about a heart that asks, What is the bare minimum that I have to do? And that is the heart that Jesus addresses in the Sermon on the Mount.

For those of you who might not be familiar, the pole-vault is an athletic track and field competition where someone holds a long pole, runs down a long runway, plants the end of the pole in the ground and then uses their momentum and the pole to lift themselves up over a stick suspended up in the air.  Whoever jumps the highest is the winner.

We aren’t sure where the event originated, but there are centuries old traditions of people using this pole-vaulting action to traverse difficult, or perhaps marshy terrain that’s hard to walk through.  It began appearing as a competitive sport back in the middle of the 1800s, and today it is a regular part of track and field competitions from junior high to the Olympics.

There is a now-retired pole-vaulter by the name of Sergei Bubka.  He is from the Ukraine, but he first began competing in major competitions in 1981, while the Ukraine was a part of the Soviet Union.  The world record for the pole vault at that time was 5.8 meters, or a little over 19 feet.  So imagine trying to get yourself 19 feet into the air with nothing to aid you but a long pole.  No ladder, no friends to give you a boost, no helicopter or airplane or trampoline of any kind.  Just you and your pole.  This was the craft of Sergei Bubka.  A daunting task, but by 1984, Sergei broke the world record by vaulting 5.85 meters into the air.  He stood at the pinnacle of his sport—there was no one better.

Nowadays Olympic athletes who have that kind of success retire so that they can take payments from being on talk shows or Wheaties boxes, but Sergei continued.  Though he was the world record holder, he continued to train, he continued to vault.  By the end of 1984, he’d broken his own record three more times.  He got as high as 5.94 meters, and when he did, people in the sport began to wonder what was possible.  The six-meter mark was considered unattainable to most, but Sergei got people wondering if it might be possible.  Already the world record holder, he pressed on to see what else was possible, and on June 13^th, 1985, he vaulted over a bar six meters in the air—about 19 feet, six inches.  He was now not only the champion in his sport, he was a legend.  A pioneer.  What greater height was there?

But Sergei kept training, and he kept vaulting.  He broke his own record again in 1985, again in 1986, again in 1987, and again in 1988.  He kept on training, and kept on vaulting, and kept on raising the bar over and over and over again.  In 1989 and 1990, he, he failed to break the record, and people wondered if perhaps his skills were beginning to decline, so he came back and broke it four times in 1991 and three more times in 1992, getting up to 6.12 meters—over 20 feet.  Finally, in 1993, he stopped breaking his record, and commentators began again to talk about his decline.  So in 1994 at age 31, he broke the record one more time, and to this day the world record in the pole-vault is held by Sergei Bubka at 6.14 meters, or 20 feet, 2 inches.  He broke the world record in 1984, and was at the pinnacle of his sport.  But rather than taking satisfaction in that, he broke the record 16 more times.

So where are we today?  Are we as far along in our journey with Jesus Christ as we need to be.  Are we too busy, too young, too old, too much of something to think about what else is possible?  What is our motivating question?  Do we ask, “What do I have to do?”  Am I just doing enough to avoid guilt.  Just enough to avoid standing out?  Or do I ask, “Hmmm… what else is possible?”  The bare minimum is not the kind of thinking that belongs in the Kingdom of God.  That’s not where Jesus tends to hang out.  The question that Jesus asks is, “What else is possible?”  May that be the question that each of us asks as well.

It was during one of my trips to Rajasthan’s rural outback (travelling in one of the crowdiest of local trains) that I took these pictures with my sexy little Sony Ericsson mobile phone. It was a god forbidden nondescript little place, a halt rather, in the middle of nowhere, where the train took a little breather before resuming it’s tiring haul across the unforgiving desert landscape.  

Pic. 1. – A 10 seater Mahindra jeep is the only available transport for ferrying (those who alighted) to nearby villages and dhanis (hamlets)

Pic. 2. – Newton’s Laws of Motion (read this for an interesting interpretation) find practical application as people jostle with each other in equal numbers and in opposite directions at the doors of the coaches.

Pic. 3. – More and more passengers finally touchdown and rush towards the waiting jeep. A couple of women do a spectacular pile vault and disappear inside in a pile. Only if  Elena Isinbaeva had seen that! 

Pic. 4. – Elite common-dudes of the Gujjar Regiment secure the roof in a jiffy.

Pic. 5. – The jeep now begins to look more and more like Tyreship Enterprise from the movie Tyretrek.

Pic. 6. – Its a display of raw skill as another common-dude hoists himself onto the roof. We never knew Mahindra makes such crash proof roofs!

Pic. 7. – Interim head count: eight on the roof, at least eighteen inside and another fourteen or so looking forward to getting accommodated. The ones on the roof each takes out a jar of Fevicol …

Pic. 8. – The driver (who somehow manages to drive expertly by sitting entirely outside) starts the jeep. Suddenly there’s a mad rush. Somehow all forty people find footholds.

Pic. 9. – They’re off. Forty of them. In one jeep. Sixteen in the back. Six in the front seat. Four on the bonnet. Eight on the roof. And six clinging on to the sides.

The train shudders and jerks forward. I settle back into my seat, take a deep breath and make a mental note of putting the pics on my blog.

Shelly-Ann Fraser and Kerron Stewart celebrate a 1-2 finish, continuing Jamaica's dominance in the sprint events-Photo from Getty Images

After a healthy order of shiny hardware in the cupboard from last year’s Olympics, Jamaica ordered up another shot in the sprints. This was a double.

Reigning Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser’s victory today in the IAAF World Championships in Berlin signifies to the sports world that Jamaica sprinting is becoming what the United States was in world basketball for quite sometime: a force that is without peer or opponent.

Fraser jetted out to a great start, never looked back  and held off charging countrywomen and silver medalist Kerron Stewart, capturing the world title in the women’s 100 in a time of 10.73. American  Carmelita Jeter took the bronze in a time of 10.90. Like we saw the night before with with their compatriots Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, who draped themselves in their country’s iconic flag and celebrated defeating the field once again, we saw the same with Fraser and Stewart almost a complete duplicate on the track. Once again, we also saw the hopeful American run a great time, only to be outdone by the force of the world’s best sprinters.

This world championships had been billed as a possible step towards redemption for American sprinters who went 0-6 in major sprint events in last year’s Summer Olympics with their Jamaican counterparts staking their claim to the thrones in those events. So far, not so good: Good has been not been good enough as both Bolt and Fraser have shown why they are the best in the world at their events. And with Tyson Gay pulling of the 200 later this week, the biggest chance for the Americans to not pull the big O-fer again might be Allyson Felix to win the women’s 200, where she is the defending world champ and has the world’s best times this year. However, lurking on her back is two-time reigning Olympic champ Veronica Campbell-Brown (from you-know where) who has edged Felix in the last two Olympic games. The 4 x 100 relays you would have to think is a foregone conclusion, assuming the Jamaican teams can just get the baton around the track.

Berlin’s Olympic Stadiums track is blue, but green and gold is the order of the week so far.

News and Notes:

-Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele continued his dominance in the 10,000 meter distance, winning his fourth consecutive world championship in a meet record time of 26:46.31. Bekele has now captured  the top prize at the 10,000 at six consecutive major world meets as the two time Olympic champion, going back to the 2003 worlds in Paris. Zersenay Tadese of Eritriea captured the silver and Moses Ndiema Masai of Kenya won bronze.

-In perhaps the biggest surprise of the day, two-time reigning Olympic champ Yelena Isinbayeva of Russia faltered, missed all three of her attempts and no-heighted in the women’s pole vault final. As the door was opened, the Polish pair of Anna Rogowska and Monika Pyrek jumped through winning gold and silver respectively. American Chelsea Johnson completed the surprise by sharing silver with Pyrek.

-Other world champions crowned today: Yargeris Savigne of Cuba lead a 1-2 Cuban finish in the women’s triple jump. Countrywoman Mabel Gay took silver and Anna Pyatykh of Russia completed the podium with bronze. Primoz Kozmus of Slovenia added a world title to his Olympic gold in Beijing the men’s hammer throw and Marta Dom’nguez of Spain won the women’s 3000 steeplechase with a world leading time of 09:07.03.

-Lopez Lomong, Bernard Lagat and Leonel Manzano of the United States qualified for the men’s 1500 final. Silver medalist from Beijing (and soon to be Olympic gold medalist) Asbel Kiprop of Kenya had the fastest qualifying time in the semis with 3:36.24.

-18-year old Caster Semenya of South Africa had the fastest qualifying time of the womens 800 semis with a time of 1:58.66. Veteran American Hazel Clark ran a season best 2:00.0, but failed to qualify for the final, finishing fourth in her heat.

-Tyson Gay, who announced through his agent that he is pulling out of the 200 later this week because of his now re-aggravated groin, was announced to be on the card for the London Grand Prix starting Aug. 31. It will be interesting to see if Gay lives up to that billing with injury that has held him out of the event in which he has the world’s fastest time this year.

-B. Cox

On se karmeeta näyttää hyvältä.

Ei jumalauta Erich, sä postasit samast aiheesta kun mä! Ja melkein samaan aikaan. Terävimmät lukijat voi huomata, että Erkka on huomattavasti kiltimpi jäbä Allisonille kuin mä… Näkökulmaerot on parhaita pikkuväittelyn alkuja… Kylläpä hymyilyttää tää kaksoisentrays. Ja täysin tietämättä toisen aikomuksista. Mä itse asiassa kirjoitin ton jutun jo päivällä, kun oli flow ja ajastin sen vaan iltaan. Hassuu. No täsä ny kuitenkin möllöttää. Hellapsykologit tehköön näiden perusteella persoonallisuusanalyysejään meistä.

——

Voi Allison Stokke parkaa, kun tyttö on bongattu upean ulkönäkönsä takia yleisurheilukentiltä ihan internetissä asti. Wow, wow, täysin ennenkuulumatonta ja yllättävää, että tommoin vosu päätyy meitin kollien kotikoneelle valokuvina ja Youtube-klippeinä.

On se varmaan hirveää olla sekä kaunis ja seksikäs että hyvä seiväshyppääjä. Moni ruma huonokuntoinen läskimimmi vaihtais paikkaa riemusta kirkuen.

Ei ne urheilusuoritukset siitä kärsi, vaikka vartalo hipoo täydellistä ja kasvotkin on lähellä äitiluonnon upeinta luomusta. Tietty jos on niin huono keskittymiskyky, ettei selviydy hyppysuorituksista satojentuhansien pinkeenä pullottavien kivespussien edessä, kannattaa harkita lajin vaihtoa miekkailuun tai laitesukellukseen. Sit ei oo ainakaan pakarat paljaana ja tissit töröllään, mikä vähentänee suorituspaineita.

Mä jotenki ymmärtäisin Stokken huolen, jos kyseessä olis joku asiantuntijavirka, mutta voiko urheilijalle olla koskaan haittaa miellyttävästä ulkonäöstä? Siis ihan oikeesti HAITTAA!

Eikös tommosella kropalla ja pärställä ole huomattavasti helpompi duunaa vaate- ja välinesponsoreita sekä näkyvyyttä tv-kameroiden edessä? Ja jos seiväshyppääjän ura floppaa, niin siitä on simppeli siirtyä missi- ja mallikilpailuihin. Esiintymisvarmuudesta ja beibeimagosta tuskin on haittaa Miss Universum-kisoissa.

Mä väitän, että noi Allisonin (ja sen faijan) ruikutukset vääränlaisesta mediajulkisuudesta on yks PR-temppu muiden joukossa. Todellisuudessa niillä pönkitetään vaan neidon sponsorikassaa. Niin, ja siinä samassa hankitaan vaivihkaa juristi-isipapalle lisää asiakkaita.

Lopuksi vielä muutama “myyntihenkinen” esittelyvideo sekä urheiluasuste- että lakiasiainpalvelupuolelle. Noilla pakaroilla myydään niin urheilukuteita kuin lakipalveluita. No problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVXvtpCjz2I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN9sIvMV5no

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zasPlQYZEHw&feature=PlayList&p=B6503F0AE699EBF5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=39

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsHXF7nLfTA

PS. Toista se on tän seitsenottelijakaunottaren, Jessica Ennisin, kanssa. Tää muidu tietää, miten kameralle poseerataan ja nauttii siitä selkeesti.

Multa tää homma hoituu

Jin Minsub 진 민섭 – Juniorenweltmeister U 18 im Stabhochsprung

Originally uploaded by Jens-Olaf

Vor einer Woche haben wir seinen starken Auftritt in Busan gesehen. Jetzt ist er Juniorenweltmeister vor zwei Deutschen. WM in Italien.

We all remember high school when jocks got all the pussy. Even the fattest, stupidest offensive lineman on the football team could still pull some tail at a party. It continues this way after high school for pro athletes. Quarterbacks who used to nail cheerleaders are now nailing supermodels.

 But all jocks are not created equal it would seem. The simple fact that a guy plays a sport is not enough to ensure him success with women. So for all you young kids out there, here’s a list of sports you want to avoid if you want to get a date to the prom.

 POLE VAULTING

I don’t know what it is but when I think of the word “pole” I think of the word “penis”. Pole vaulting sounds like you’re jumping on penises. While that may have been considered cool in ancient Greece when it was invented, now it’s just plain weird.

This guy is a penis jumper if I’ve ever seen one.

BOWLING

 Okay bowling is fun when you’re getting drunk with your buddies but when it leaves the realm of leisurely activities and moves into competitive sports it becomes incredibly dorky.

 PING PONG

The scour of intensity on these guys’ faces says to the opposite sex, I am obsessive about small, inconsequential things and you need to feel the same way.

This should be a given. Imagine saying these words to your girlfriend. “I’m sorry I can’t go out tonight. I have a huge ping pong tournament tomorrow.” It ain’t gonna fly.

 BOBSLED

Although bobsledders look like die-hard Metroid fans, they do have groupies and occasionally have sex with them. There is a down side however. Bobsled groupies typically look like this.

I hope my point has been clear to all you young aspiring athletes out there. Stick to the basics, Football, Baseball, and Basketball. I suppose Hockey and Soccer are okay if you just have to be different but don’t stray too far. If you find your self playing Frisbee Golf just know that the Frisbee is the only thing of yours you can ever hope of getting in the hole.

Irgendwann vermisst man ja doch seine eigene Sportart. Aber Busan hat einen neuen Wettbewerb: Golden Pole. Stabhochsprung in der Mitte der Stadt auf einem öffentlichen Platz. Vor dem Aussichtsturm über dem alten Zentrum. Heute war der erste Tag und die Oberschüler, also Junioren traten zum Wettbewerb an. Zuerst die Juniorinnen dann die Junioren. Beim Aufwärmen:

Wofür die Frauenleichtathletik lange streiten musste: Stabhochsprung als olympische Disziplin. In Busan ist ein Schwerpunkt dieser Sportart und die Konkurrenz stark, für die jungen Frauen haben die alten Grabenkämpfe im Sportverband keine Bedeutung mehr:

Randbemerkung, in Daegu sind 2011 die Leichtathletik-Weltmeisterschaften. Die Springerin hier trainiert sechs mal die Woche a zwei Stunden. Sie hat einen ehemaligen Wettkämpfer als Trainer:

Und ab 3 Meter 50:

Bei den Junioren haben wir am Ende einen neuen koreanischen Rekord gesehen. 5. 20m. Die persönliche Bestleistung um sieben Zentimeter verbessert.
Einer der Rekordversuche:

Die Leichtathletik, lange nicht mehr so populär in Europa wie früher, aber das hier lässt hoffen:

Alle sind Oberschüler, also wird das vereinzelt gefördert. Sie kann:

Another beautiful young lady goes off to college. Cindy and I have such a pleasure working with homeschool students. They all seem to have such pleasant nature and Caitlyn is no exception. Caitlyn is a Pole Vaulter. My guess is she’ll do fine at anything she does.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pole vault? Well my friend has made that possible. He has a helmet cam and has video taped himself pole vaulting. I’m trying to help promote it because I think it’s the coolest thing in the world. It’s the only video of first person pole vaulting I’ve seen on youtube. Watch it and rate it 5 stars!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdGvfPKvaB8

I need some PV Spikes that are BLACK/Gold or Black/Yeallow know ny!!!

So I got a couple of calls to shoot the 2009 NCAA Baseball Austin Regional Tournament over at Disch-Faulk Field this weekend.  I’m scheduled to shoot 7 games in three days, so it should be an interesting/long/sunburnt weekend.  I’m traveling up to Round Rock tonight to see the Round Rock Express end their week long homestead with a game against the Salt Lake Bees.  I’m going to go shoot while the light is pretty (7pm start) then retire to a seat with a fat hotdog (because I don’t eat enough of them already) and enjoy some baseball…

In closing, I thought I would share a couple of photos I shot during the Sports Shooter Academy held in Irvine last month to take my mind off of baseball for a moment.  I just thought the series was pretty funny.  The coach was silent the entire time until he made fun of this pole vaulter.

Photos by Austin sports photographer Patrick Meredith

More photos to come.  I’ve been busy shooting…Triathlons,portraits, soccer games….yikes.  It might be Monday or Tuesday before I get back though. 

May 29, 2009 – 4p.m. start @ Frank Jost Field, South Plainfield High School.

1600: John Arnone – Event #6
Pole Vault: Raye Scott – Event #9

May 30, 2009 – 10 a.m start
800: Liam Ayres – Event #1
3200: Matt Metlitz – Event #9

Parkway North – After Raritan toll, at bottom of bridge, follow signs for 287 North. Exit at
Durham Avenue (exit 4). Turn right at the bottom of the ramp onto Durham. At second light,
bear right over bridge onto Hamilton Blvd. Go 4 lights and turn right onto Maple Ave. (Dunkin
Donuts will be on your right and Senior Citizens Center will be on your left) About 1/2 mile on
right, you will see the PAL building. Make right onto Cady Lane. Football Stadium/Track is
behind PAL building.

400IH: Maurice Preston 1:00.87, 12th
100: Brendan Piha 11.86, 21st
1600: John Arnone 4:33.64, 6th*, Patrick Waite 4:54.14, 22nd, Brad Bissell 4:54.53, 24th
400: Charles Wiliams 55.84, 29th
Discus: Rob Garrison 109-3, 11th, Andrew Mueller 79-4, 22nd
Triple Jump: Maurice Preston 38-10.5, 13th, DJ Bacon 38-3.5, 16th
High Jump: Ryan Carr 5-8, 9th
800: Liam Ayres 2:02.84,6th* Zac Manning 2:11.02, 26th
3200: Matt Metlitz* 9:54.84, 4th, John Arnone 9:57.41, 5th*
200: Brendan Piha 24.13, 27th
4×400: Maurice Williams, Liam Ayres, John Arnone, Charles Willams 3:35.96, 7th
Javelin: Cal Mendoza 117-04, 23rd
Shot Put George Patterson 39-05.5, 13th, John Mancusi 37-08.5, 18th
Long Jump: Maurice Preston 18-07.25, 13th
Pole Vault: Joe Miller 12-0, 7th, Josh Mieloch 11-0, 10th
14th Place 8 points

Girls
400H: Shannon Pace 1:13.82, 17th
1600: Mary Cerasa 5:21.71, 7th, Blair Wikoff 5:39.47, 18th
Javelin: Kelly Megill 83-10, 16th, Blair Wikoff 82-2, 22nd
Shot Put: Michelle Pebole 29-9.5, 17th, Dana Coyle 25-10, 33rd
100H Shannon Pace 19.46, 27th
800: Liz Dowdy 2:24.23, 7th, Emily Lobraico 2:32.26, 20th Julia Barnett 2:32.98, 21st
3200: Mary Cerasa 12:22.96, 10th, Kelliann Dietel 12:41.78, 15th, Leslie Osmont 12:46.57, 16th
Pole Vault: Raye Scott 9-6, 6th, Laura Jackson 8-0, 9th, Ashley Jordan 7-0, 17th
Discus: Michelle Pebole 98-02, 7th
18th Place 1 point

David competed in the Division III National Track and Field Championships tonight and posted a height of 15′11″ which placed him 6th in the nation in polevaulting!  Congratulations, David!  You’ve always been All-American in our hearts!

From the Wheaton College website:

Thursday night, senior David Larson, competed in the men’s pole vault at Nationals for the second consecutive year. Larson came into Thursday’s competition with the 12th-best height of the 17 competitors. On Thursday night he posted a career-best height of 15′ 11-1/4″ to finish sixth at Nationals and earn All-American recognition. Larson’s effort on Thursday bested his qualifying height of 15’ 10” that came on May 15. Larson is the first Wheaton pole vaulter to earn Division III All-American honors since Matt Sheehan finished second at the 2004 Division III Championships.