Re: Class of 2009 College Signings
Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:19 pm
http://www.daltondailycitizen.com/sport ... d=topstory
Column: KSU-bound Bridges raising the bar
By Adam Krohn
adamkrohn@daltoncitizen.com
If you’re looking to get a hold of Jake Bridges this week, that’s not going to happen. Always busy, the senior track and field standout for Northwest Whitfield has spent the offseason traveling all over the place to participate in meets at schools like the University of Florida and Louisiana State University. He also makes the seven-hour trip to Jonesboro, Ark. whenever he gets the chance so he can train with Olympian pole vaulter Earl Bell.
This week, however, his time is consumed for different reasons. It’s winter break for the students of Northwest, and he’s on a cruise near the island of Cozumel with Bruins track teammates Dean Haynes, Cameron Griffin and Drew Smith.
While it’s rest and relaxation this week, next week it’s back to work for Bridges, who continues to work towards both the school’s and state’s pole vaulting records, both of which were set by Nate Woodason in 2008. Woodason’s school record is 15 feet and his state record is 14-9 3/4.
Bridges’ hard work has already paid off big time for him. Last Thursday, he signed a full athletic scholarship to Kennesaw State University, a four-year Division I school in Marietta that has an up-and-coming track and field program. In 2008, the Owls won the Atlantic Sun indoor and outdoor conference championships.
It’s a big deal for Bridges to earn a scholarship and he, along with a few other recruits, will be the first pole vaulters in KSU history.
“Not a lot of people really follow pole vaulting,” Bruins track coach Jason Jackson said. “From what I’ve heard in talking to some college coaches, not a lot of schools spend scholarship money on pole vaulters, because they’re so few and far between and because most schools don’t have coaches that can work with them. So for Jake to get a scholarship for pole vaulting, that’s major.”
It’s been Jake’s older brother Nick, who is an assistant on Jackson’s coaching staff, that has traveled with Jake to different meets this offseason in an effort to get his name out to schools.
Whenever Jake participates in a meet, his personal best times at the events are recorded and displayed on www.gatfxc.com, a Georgia track and field and cross country coverage site used by college and high school coaches to keep up with who is doing what.
KSU javelin and pole vault coach Jerel Langley is one of the college coaches that visits the site regularly and took note of Bridges’ performances, such as the personal-record 14-9 1/4 height he cleared at last week’s Jimmy Carnes Invitational at the University of Florida.
“What he’s vaulting at right now, he’d be leading the conference,” Langley said. “That’s the goal for him, first and foremost. He’s got great speed for a vaulter and he’s got good grades and is a good kid, so he was an easy recruiting choice for us. I’m just glad he signed with us early before (other schools) got to him.”
Langley, Nick Bridges and Jake’s poll vaulting coach Keith Woodason — Nate Woodason’s father — have all mentioned 15-6 as the goal for Jake’s new personal best. Achieving that goal, of course, would mean shattering the current school and state records.
But based on Bridges’ performance at the Carnes Invitational — Nick Bridges said he could have easily cleared 15 on that jump — as well the overall strides he’s made of late, all involved believe 15-6 is a number that will be achieved.
Nick Bridges is going to great financial lengths to make sure his brother gets to that number, investing in $900 poles for Jake to use this season.
“That comes out of the ‘Bridges Fund,’ so he better be getting 15-6 everytime” said Nick, jokingly. “But I’d rather pay (for the poles) than tuition, or him be like me and have to be paying off student loans.”
So as the track and field season nears and Bridges inches closer to 15 feet, all eyes are on him and the future, which, with KSU in the mix, is looking bright as ever.
“He’s got a lot of room to grow,” Langley said. “We’ll get him in the weight room and get his strength levels up, and keep his speed where it is. Once he matures and grows into his body, I think we’re looking at a region and national qualifier by the end of his college career.”
Column: KSU-bound Bridges raising the bar
By Adam Krohn
adamkrohn@daltoncitizen.com
If you’re looking to get a hold of Jake Bridges this week, that’s not going to happen. Always busy, the senior track and field standout for Northwest Whitfield has spent the offseason traveling all over the place to participate in meets at schools like the University of Florida and Louisiana State University. He also makes the seven-hour trip to Jonesboro, Ark. whenever he gets the chance so he can train with Olympian pole vaulter Earl Bell.
This week, however, his time is consumed for different reasons. It’s winter break for the students of Northwest, and he’s on a cruise near the island of Cozumel with Bruins track teammates Dean Haynes, Cameron Griffin and Drew Smith.
While it’s rest and relaxation this week, next week it’s back to work for Bridges, who continues to work towards both the school’s and state’s pole vaulting records, both of which were set by Nate Woodason in 2008. Woodason’s school record is 15 feet and his state record is 14-9 3/4.
Bridges’ hard work has already paid off big time for him. Last Thursday, he signed a full athletic scholarship to Kennesaw State University, a four-year Division I school in Marietta that has an up-and-coming track and field program. In 2008, the Owls won the Atlantic Sun indoor and outdoor conference championships.
It’s a big deal for Bridges to earn a scholarship and he, along with a few other recruits, will be the first pole vaulters in KSU history.
“Not a lot of people really follow pole vaulting,” Bruins track coach Jason Jackson said. “From what I’ve heard in talking to some college coaches, not a lot of schools spend scholarship money on pole vaulters, because they’re so few and far between and because most schools don’t have coaches that can work with them. So for Jake to get a scholarship for pole vaulting, that’s major.”
It’s been Jake’s older brother Nick, who is an assistant on Jackson’s coaching staff, that has traveled with Jake to different meets this offseason in an effort to get his name out to schools.
Whenever Jake participates in a meet, his personal best times at the events are recorded and displayed on www.gatfxc.com, a Georgia track and field and cross country coverage site used by college and high school coaches to keep up with who is doing what.
KSU javelin and pole vault coach Jerel Langley is one of the college coaches that visits the site regularly and took note of Bridges’ performances, such as the personal-record 14-9 1/4 height he cleared at last week’s Jimmy Carnes Invitational at the University of Florida.
“What he’s vaulting at right now, he’d be leading the conference,” Langley said. “That’s the goal for him, first and foremost. He’s got great speed for a vaulter and he’s got good grades and is a good kid, so he was an easy recruiting choice for us. I’m just glad he signed with us early before (other schools) got to him.”
Langley, Nick Bridges and Jake’s poll vaulting coach Keith Woodason — Nate Woodason’s father — have all mentioned 15-6 as the goal for Jake’s new personal best. Achieving that goal, of course, would mean shattering the current school and state records.
But based on Bridges’ performance at the Carnes Invitational — Nick Bridges said he could have easily cleared 15 on that jump — as well the overall strides he’s made of late, all involved believe 15-6 is a number that will be achieved.
Nick Bridges is going to great financial lengths to make sure his brother gets to that number, investing in $900 poles for Jake to use this season.
“That comes out of the ‘Bridges Fund,’ so he better be getting 15-6 everytime” said Nick, jokingly. “But I’d rather pay (for the poles) than tuition, or him be like me and have to be paying off student loans.”
So as the track and field season nears and Bridges inches closer to 15 feet, all eyes are on him and the future, which, with KSU in the mix, is looking bright as ever.
“He’s got a lot of room to grow,” Langley said. “We’ll get him in the weight room and get his strength levels up, and keep his speed where it is. Once he matures and grows into his body, I think we’re looking at a region and national qualifier by the end of his college career.”