DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — In search of a Penobscot Valley Conference record in the pole vault at the PVC Small School Championships on Monday, Orono High School standout David Frederick spent a lot of time standing around. Enough time for the entire running of the 1,600-meter race walk (almost 12 minutes) and then some while his attempts progressed from 13 feet, 4 inches to 14-3. Each attempt lasted only a few seconds, about four seconds of running and two in the air. He spent his extensive down time on basically two things. “Obviously, staying warm,” he said of the sunny but cool and windy day at Foxcroft Academy, “but I also have to make sure I keep on thinking about what I need to do with my technique, what was wrong with my last jump and how to correct it.” Orono coach Chris Libby helped him with his adjustments, taking a moment from his other duties to watch Frederick jump, then telling his vaulter what he thought needed fixing or adjusting. Setting the bar each time and checking its height are exacting processes that have to be done each time the bar is raised, to make it official. After the height is confirmed, the entire structure holding up the bar has to be slid back into place. If the bar continues to be raised, the structure has to be moved back slightly farther to allow the top of the vaulter’s arc to occur as he or she clears the bar. The vaulter decides how far forward or back to move the structure. If it’s too close to the pit where the vaulter sets the pole to start the vault, the competitor likely will hit the bar on the way up. Too far back, and he’ll hit it on the way down. With a smile afterward, Frederick said of his adjustments, “Some meets it works, some meets it doesn’t.” He could afford to smile then, because his vault of 13-4 broke the mark of 13-3 set the year before by Tristan Wortman of Brewer. After that, Frederick, who had a seed height of 14 feet, had the bar placed at 13-9, which he cleared on his second try. He next tried to clear 14-3, which would be a personal record, but he missed twice and was done. As for Monday’s event itself, his 13-9 vault bettered the height of the runners-up by 3-9 and earned Frederick his first gold medal of the day. If he matches or surpasses his winning height in Saturday’s Class C state championships at Foxcroft, he will break the state record of 13-8 1/4 set by Hein Brutsaert of Orono in 1984. more
