Hanford, CA–Bob Fraley’s been very busy this summer, and if you’re lucky enough to talk to him for a few minutes, you get the feeling that’s just how he likes it. The former Fresno State track and field coach (best known for giving up his salary to keep the program alive), a Laton High grad who also coached at Lemoore High, is behind a couple of big events in the next couple of weeks. On Thursday, at Lemoore’s Tiger Stadium, the championship meet of the Run for the Dream summer series will be held. A week from Friday, the 26th, is the annual North American Pole Vault championships in the streets of Clovis. Fraley succeeded Warmerdam as Fresno State’s track coach. Fraley also plans to have several of the vaulters that will be next week’s championships involved in setting up Thursday’s meet. “They’re going to learn how to do that, A lot of them don’t have the opportunity to do that,” Fraley said. He also plans a side trip to Warmerdam’s farm, to let them see where it all started. Vault teams from Reno, Los Angeles and New Orleans are expected at the Clovis meet. There will also be a Team Hanford, as is meet tradition, to honor the memory of Warmerdam, who set several world records with a bamboo pole, but never made it to the Olympics since the height of his career came during World War II. more
