The fan who was supposed to watch a duel between the best two collegiate pole vaulters in the nation will now have to settle for a match between the second best.
Tough, huh?
The top vaulter in the nation, Washington senior Brad Walker, will not compete in this weekend’s NCAA West Regionals at Stanford or next month’s NCAA meet in Sacramento, after being diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his hand. Now Bruin sophomore Yoo Kim, who is ranked second behind Walker, will have to compete with third-ranked BYU freshman Robinson Pratt for the title of best pole vaulter in the West.
Despite Walker’s injury, the regionals will still offer six of the top 10 vaulters in the nation, including USC’s Jeff Ryan and Cal State Fullerton’s Giovanni Lanaro. But though there will be a storm of talent, the husky will be missed in the circle of vaulters.
“Brad Walker has been someone that we’ve been looking up to,” pole vaulting coach Anthony Curran said. “Yoo Kim has looked up to him as a friend and a role model.”
But with the absence of Walker, Kim is now the top vaulter in the nation and the potential points that he could add to the men’s track and field team will be vital.
“Yoo should be at the highest level and should jump well,” men’s head coach Art Venegas said. “But it’s going to be highly technical this weekend and he’ll have to be at the top of his game.”
Besides Kim’s points, the Bruins will be looking to score big in the throwing events where the tandem of junior Dan Ames and senior Scott Wiegand will be competing. The two have become the best one-two punch in the nation.
“The team will have a chance to do as well as or better than Pac-10s,” Venegas said. “Since there will be more schools there and more points spread around, the team scores will be lower and give us a better chance to compete.”
Other field contributors will be freshman high jumper Ryan Hollins. Originally scheduled to compete in both the triple and high jump, Hollins will have to focus on his main event – the high jump – because of complications with the invitation to USA national team trials. Hollins will go directly from Friday’s competition to Colorado where the trials are held.
This weekend’s newly enacted competition will be of paramount importance for Bruin athletes looking to compete in the NCAA Nationals in two weeks. Only the top five finishers in each event will be guaranteed an invitation.
“It’s good because it gives the athletes more chances to compete before the finals,” Venegas said. “Before if you weren’t ready after Pac-10s, you were all but done. Now there’s life after Pac-10s.”