When it comes to pole vaulting, father knows best. At least that’s the case for NCAA champ Sam Kendricks, whose proud pop guides him in his career at Mississippi.At Oxford High, ’83 Ole Miss grad Scott Kendricks coached his son to consecutive Mississippi 5A titles and a 17-0 clearance as a senior. Scott returned to his alma mater to continue overseeing Sam’s training, and as a volunteer assistant for the Rebels, works with head coach Brian O’Neal to shape Sam’s program.
Sam says he likes to “keep it professional” with his dad, referring to him as “Coach Kendricks,” but he uses “us” and “we” when describing his accomplishments, sharing the acclaim.
“They have a special bond and a connection there that goes beyond words , ”
says O’Neal. “There’s complete faith and trust in what they’re doing from the technical side of things.”
O’Neal also attributes Sam’s improvement last year to a commitment to video study, gymnastics exercises and additional speed and strength training.
A promising frosh year—clearing 18-½ and tying for 10th at the NCAA—led to a major breakthrough in ’13.
Following a 3rd-place finish at the NCAA Indoor, Kendricks opened his outdoor season by soaring 19-¾ (5.81) to win the Texas Relays.
That was the best vault by a collegian since ’99, moved him to No. 5 on the all-time list and held up as the No. 2 U.S. performer for the year. He backed that up with the NCAA title, and though he struggled at USATF (8th), he was selected for the World University Games. On a windy day in Russia, he topped six straight heights on his first try and took gold at 18-4½ (5.60), making a legitimate case that he’s the top collegiate vaulter in the world.
“It was a huge surprise that I got selected,” he says. “Just knowing that some of the best in the world were there made me reevaluate myself. I had to step down from the victory at NCAA.”
For all his accomplishments, however, Kendricks has yet to win an SEC title. He’s been runner-up outdoors twice (to Andrew Irwin of Arkansas) so adding Conference titles to his résumé is a priority. To get there he knows to make consistency a big goal. “A lot of schools think of their pole vaulters as hit or miss guys, and I don’t want to be that guy for Ole Miss,” he says.
“I want to be a reliable competitor and score points every time.” /Rich Sands/
