Thousand Oaks, California –There were some anxious moments Friday for Thousand Oaks’ Luigi Colella, but the state pole vault champion came through in the clutch when he needed to in order to advance to Sunday’s final at the eighth IAAF World Youth Track and Field Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. Colella, competing for Italy, needed to clear 15 feet, 9 inches on his third attempt to remain in the competition, then cleared 15-11 on his second try to secure a spot in the final. Ten athletes — including Americans Devin King and Paulo Benavides — cleared 15-11. Colella entered with a season-best 16-5 1/4 from qualifying June 16 in Italy, which ranks ninth on the world’s 17-under performance list this year. He is only the second Italian male pole vaulter to make the World Youth final, joining Simone Fusiani in 2009. more
