Luke Winder, my brother, won the Drake Relays pole vault competition with a clearance of 5.53m(18’1.75″), a personal record. Luke and my dad, Tim Winder, had a couple goals going into the competition.
First, they wanted to finish every vault. This would essentially give my dad enough data to put together the correct “numbers” to produce the highest vault possible on that given day. Second, they wanted to make sure Luke was hitting his top speed to allow more energy in the vault, which in return would result in moving a bigger pole. My brothers, dad and I talked it over via text afterwards. My dad said, “Speed was very good. Never underestimate the application of just running faster. Speed puts energy into the system. Technique helps minimize energy loss. It is 100% being efficient so a higher percentage of energy can be returned back to the vaulter’s technique so they can go high. This is why fast vaulters don’t always jump high, and slow vaulters don’t always jump low. But a fast vaulter with efficient technique always jumps high.”
Numbers
Pole: 4.90m(16’1″) 200(14.8) Pacer Carbon
Grip: 15’9″
Take Off: 13’2″
Clearance: 5.53m(18’1.75″)
Moral of the story…Run fast and finish all your jumps…
Check out the video!
winderupathletics.com 