Neither snowstorms over Donner Pass nor incompetent shipping by UPS-SCS could keep the girls fromPole Vault City from thriving in Reno this past weekend. We were notified by UPS Supply Chain Solutions on Thursday that our poles would not arrive until Monday in Reno because of a snowstorm between California and Nevada. This of course was an unacceptable solution since we had travelled to Reno for a competition/clinic and pole vaulting is not very much fun without poles. So Friday morning Coach Haeck and his lovely assistant Marcy Haeck hopped into a rental vehicle and headed to Sacramento to pick up the poles so the trip would not be a complete disaster. After driving across the snow laden Donner Pass and a few stops at Target and Home Depot to secure equipment for transporting the poles we finally arrived at the UPS station. The quizzical look on the attendants face behind the glass enclosure didn’t lend me to believe there would be a happy ending to the story. Upon inquiring about the poles, she informed us that the poles were in Reno and that they had been shipped that morning. There was irony in that statement that redefines the term. Had we wasted 2.5 hours driving across treacherous roadways, yes. Had we wasted money in gas and transportation, yes. Were the poles where we could use them for the competition, yes. All in all, the news was better than a Salt Lake City response, so away we went back to Reno. Thanks to some scheduling rearranging from team Mom, Ingrid Gale, with the powers to be at the Summitt, the girls were allowed to jump in with a beginner group and get some practice vaults in on Friday. On Saturday the girls performed well with Amanda Gale highlighting the day with a PR vaultof 10’8″ and almost making 11’4″. Amanda’s sister, Emily, scored the highest vault of the quartet with an 11’4″ clearance. Stephanie Cook and Annie Harwig both vaulted 10’4″ with excellent attempts at 10’8″. After everything was said and done, the girls got to compete and they did a wonderful job.
On a lighter note, the uniforms arrived in Reno on time and we were the best looking group of vaulters in Reno. Even Stacy Dragila and Jeff Hartwig commented on their professional appearance. Uniforms are available for the upcoming meet this weekend at the University of Florida. Cost of the uniforms is $250 for the girls complete uniform and $200 for the boys complete uniform. The boys uniforms are less because they are responsible for purchasing their own shorts. The girls uniforms consist of competition top, spandex bottoms, running pants, and track jacket. The boys uniform consists of a competition jersey, running pants, and track jacket. Contact Coach Haeck to reserve your uniform.
