Joe Berry Soaring to New Heights (Tennessee)

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/ ... 69560.html

Soaring to New Heights

By DREW MARKOL
The Intelligencer
His mind-set changed right before the start of the Southeastern Conference outdoor championships and the new approach has stayed with him. He intends to keep it that way.

“Here I was, this little freshman trying to keep the University of Tennessee tradition going in the pole vault,” said 2007 Hatboro-Horsham graduate Joe Berry.

“I was seeded third and was kind of staying in the background. I was nervous, too. But then my coach (Russ Johnson) grabbed me and said I'd better be focused and told me I was going to win.

“As soon as he said that, I changed modes. It went from trying to do my best to "I'm going to win.'”

And that's just what Berry did. He won the SEC title and then went to the NCAA Mideast Regional event and won that, too, clearing a personal-best 17 feet, 9 inches.

Things didn't go quite as well at the NCAA Championships at Drake University (Iowa), but Berry earned a trip to the World Junior Championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland earlier this month by winning the USA Junior Championships in June. The IAAF World Junior Championships feature athletes who are at least 14 years old at the time of competition but do not turn 20 during the calendar year.

And what a trip it was.

Berry's poles were held up by the U.S. Customs folks, meaning Johnson had to put in an emergency call to a supplier in Germany who had eight new poles delivered to Bydgoszcz — a 12-hour car ride.

“The smallest pole they brought was the biggest one I'd ever used,” said a laughing Berry. “Normally, you have a pole you warm up with and then a different one at the start of the meet and then another one (of a different length) as you get more energy. But in Poland, I had this huge pole, and my first two attempts were horrible. I almost no-heighted (missed the qualifying height). But on my third attempt in qualifying I probably had my best jump.”

He would eventually finish in a tie for seventh by clearing 16-8 3/4 — top five was his goal — and walk away with invaluable experience.

He learned:

* That overseas, the markings on the runway for the pole vault are metric. “I'm used to everything being in feet,” Berry said. “I was thinking to myself, "What am I supposed to do with this?'”


* That sleep is overrated. “I was jumping at 3 in the morning our time,” Berry said. “I woke up at midnight and went to the track. That was really weird.”

* That ice is underrated. “We couldn't get ice,” Berry said. “I usually use ice bags and get ice baths because pole vaulting is hard on the body. But there wasn't any ice.”

*That he needs to pay attention to the scoreboard. “Over here, at the (PIAA) state meet, they call out that this guy is up, and that guy is next and that this guy is in the hole,” Berry said. “In Poland, they just put your name on the board and then they start the clock and you have a minute to get ready and go. Everything was all crazy over in Poland, but it was a great learning experience.”

As was his first year at a big-time college program. Berry arrived in Knoxville thinking he was the best thing going in the pole vault before getting a serious dose of reality.

“I thought I was the best pole vaulter alive when I showed up,” Berry said. “Then at the first practice, my coach told me I was holding the pole wrong and running wrong and he was comparing my leg angles.

“And I'm thinking, leg angles, what does that mean? I cleared 17-9 this year and that's only ninth best at Tennessee. The tradition of great pole vaulters is unbelievable.”

Getting used to just about everything away from home was a long process.

“The whole college life thing was really a hard adjustment,” Berry said. “In high school, you go 30 minutes to another school and then go home after the meet. In college, every weekend, you're traveling all over country. You're trying to study and then do well at meets. It took a long time to get used to.”

Now, finally after years of non-stop competition, Berry is taking it easy.

“I haven't had a real break since my junior year in high school,” Berry said. “I just got back in Horsham a couple days ago, but I'll be home until school starts. I've been doing some swimming and I'm going to work on my speed. That's my main problem now, but I also want to make sure I get some rest.”

[tennpolevault]

leg angles ? lol.

[KYSEAMAN]

Joe can swim?