The Bee's athletes of the year jump at the chance to be the state's best
By Jason Jones -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:01 am PDT Tuesday, June 20, 2006
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Story appeared in Sports section, Page C1
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(Article edited for Vault info only)...
- When Scott Roth won the first of his three consecutive state pole vault titles in 2004, he looked at the list of winners and found motivation.
"When you look at the state list and see who won it, you see a lot of names once," Roth said. "You don't know if that's because they won as seniors or won earlier and didn't win again. I just tried not to let that happen to me."
Roth, from Granite Bay High School, and Purvis, of Benicia High, used that kind of thinking to win state titles this year. They are The Bee's 2006 Track and Field Athletes of the Year.
Roth won his third pole vault title earlier this month at Cerritos College by clearing 16 feet, 11 inches, cementing himself as one of the best prep pole vaulters in state history.
"Next year I'm probably going to be nervous because a lot of people are going to come after me," Purvis said. "And I'm only going to be a junior, too."
Roth knows the feeling.
After winning state in 2004, Roth also wanted to set a state-meet record. He did last year (17-1), largely because he refused to rest after success early in his high school career and wanted to win three state titles.
"I knew it was possible, but I also knew it would take a lot of work, of course," Roth said. "Because when you're on top, everyone wants to catch you, and it's easy not to train when you're on top.
"A lot of the time when people are No. 1 in the nation, they start thinking they've got it and no one can catch them."
No one in California caught Roth. Purvis will look to put more distance between herself and the rest of the state over the next two years.
BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
SCOTT ROTH
Grante Bay, Sr.
• Won third consecutive state pole vault title and had second-best mark (17-5) in nation this season.
FIRST TEAM
RYAN SHULER
Granite Bay, Sr.
• Tied for second in state pole vault; second in Masters pole vault.
FIRST TEAM
STEPHANIE BAGEN
Granite Bay, Sr.
• Tied for seventh in state pole vault; Masters pole vault champ.
-- Jason Jones