Sports Archives — The Altamont Enterprise, April 19, 2012
Voorheesville jumpers aim for record and come close
By Jordan J. Michael
VOORHEESVILLE –– Vinny Saccocio and Ashley Bates both tried to set Voorheesville jump records on Tuesday. Both athletes knocked the bar over.
Bates cleared 5 feet in the girls’ high jump to tie the record, and Saccocio had the pole-vault bar set to 14 feet, 1 inch. Saccocio didn’t even have any Schalmont competitors to jump against, so he dictated the entire event.
Voorheesville Head Coach Steve Relyea asked Saccocio why he was trying to break the record by only one inch, suggesting that 14 feet, 6 inches might be a better choice. Saccocio kept the bar at 14 feet, 1 inch and the official results at the end of the day said he cleared 13 feet.
It’s a lofty goal, but Relyea thinks that Saccocio could eventually clear 15 feet, 5 inches if he keeps working at it. Saccocio, a senior, cleared 14 feet during Colonie Night at the Races last summer.
“I get tired when I’m vaulting alone,” said Saccocio, who won sectionals last year. “I plan on breaking this record.”
The Voorheesville pole-vault record of 14 feet is held by Kyle Jacobs, set in 2006 during sectional competition.
“It’s a tough event,” Relyea said. “I only get to coach him for a couple months out of the year, but he goes out on his own, too. He’s having some issues with his approach, but he has plenty of natural ability.
Saccocio said that he likes to set his pole-vaulting standards between 18 and 22 inches. Standards determine how far or how close the jumper is to the vaulting box, which is where the pole sticks into the ground. High school standards are allowed to be between 15-and-a-half and 30 inches.
Saccocio will soon be switching to a longer pole, so that record may not last very long. Some competition may help him focus more, and feel less pressure.
“I always thought pole vault looked like the coolest event,” said Saccocio. “I like to go high, and I don’t like to run around that much.”
Results
Both the girls’ and boys’ Voorheesville track and field teams lost to Schalmont at home on Tuesday. The scores were 89.5 to 50.5 for the boys and 94 to 46 for the girls. Here are the first-place finishes by Voorheesville athletes:
–– Joe Becker, 1600-meter, 4:54;
–– Stephen Meyer, 400-meter, 55.2;
–– David Vandervort, 800-meter, 2:15.9;
–– Tim Stewart; high jump; 5 feet, 10 inches;
–– Vinny Saccocio, pole vault, 13 feet;
–– Boys’ 4 X 800-meter relay, 9:03;
–– Boys’ 4 X 400-meter relay, 4:12;
–– Michelyn Little, 1500-meter, 5:24;
–– Allegra Fasulo, 400-meter, 1:07.2;
–– Olsen, 400-meter hurdles, 1:23.2;
–– Eryn Ryan, 200-meter, 29.1; and
–– Eryn Ryan; pole vault; 7 feet, 6 inches.