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Freshman Vaulter Wastes No Time
Published On Monday, December 08, 2008 11:36 PM
By MELISSA SCHELLBERG
Contributing Writer

If you type freshman Nico Weiler’s name into Google, it won’t take you long to realize that he is a pole vaulter, now beginning his first season of track and field at Harvard. Then you’ll realize something else—he’s really good.

“I think he’s going to be extremely successful,” Harvard Coach Will Thomas says. “The sky’s the limit for Nico as far as what he can accomplish this year and the next four years of college.”

Last weekend the track and field team opened its season in Boston at the Husky Winter Carnival. Weiler won the pole-vaulting event in a three-way tie vaulting 4.72 meters on Saturday.

This vault puts Weiler ninth on the all-time Harvard history list for vaulting, an impressive feat after only one meet. The accomplishment is even more striking considering the vaulters opted for short approaches in the early-season meet and therefore were not able to get up to their top speed.

“He really knows the event,” sophomore pole vaulter Sean Gil says. “It’s enjoyable to train with him because he knows all of these intricacies of pole vaulting.”

Weiler entered his freshman year at Harvard with an impressive resume. Not only was he the 2006 Under-18 World Champion, but he also set the Under-18 World record for the event. Additionally, he was named NSIC All-American twice and won the state championship in California in both 2007 and 2008.

The rookie has shown a lot of promise and certainly has a shot at attending the track and field national championships this year—not to mention what he may accomplish over four years.

“He’ll be competing at the national level [this year],” Thomas says. “That’s why he’s here, and that’s the goal.”

Weiler will not only be a vital member of the team by providing key points, but also by pushing his fellow teammates to improve.

“It’s always good to have a competitive training partner,” Gil says, “especially when he’s a little bit better than you. It pushes you. You never have a day where you can slack off.”

Though originally from Stuttgart, Germany, Weiler attended high school in southern California, where he amassed a majority of his vaulting accolades. With an eclectic background, he brings more than just high vaults to the team.

“He’s a fun guy to be around,” Gil says. “He’s seen a lot of the world. That always makes someone interesting.”

Though off the field, teammates say Weiler is a jokester, it’s all business for the freshman when it comes to pole vaulting.

“His work ethic is second to none,” Thomas says. “On the track, he’s the first one there, and you usually have to kick him out. His work ethic is inspiring to a lot of kids on the team. His dedication is probably one of the strongest I’ve seen.”

Weiler experienced minimal cramping at the last meet and may not be able to vault again until January, but Coach Thomas isn’t worried. The Crimson can expect great things from this talented freshman over the next four years.

Weiler should continue to be a success in the Ivy League and may even surpass the number one vaulter in Crimson history, Geoff Stiles ’79, who vaulted 17 feet 3 inches at the NCAA championship in 1979. The closest anyone has gotten to Stiles is Steven Brannon ’97-’98, who came within five inches in 1995.

At Gordon Track, the Crimson’s home turf, a large sign lists the men’s and women’s all-time best performances. With Weiler gaining the ninth spot in Harvard history at his first meet, it is almost guaranteed he will join some of the greatest athletes up on that board one day.

They don't even say what his PR is or that he jumped higher than their school record in hgh school. Almost jumped higher from short run at Reno last year. Bubba

He went to high school in northern CA.

Wilson, California is California. It's all south hehehehe

Rick

Los Gatos, San Francisco Bay area

Wilson, we don't claim to be Nor Cal...... you are jaded

he also wasted no time getting hurt I was at the Harvard meet today, he didn't compete because of a "knee injury" according to my coach!

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=527657

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Freshman Soars Over Competition
Weiler continues a dominant rookie season in New Haven
Published On Tuesday, April 14, 2009 9:55 PM
By KEVIN T. CHEN
Crimson Staff Writer

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Not many people have the opportunity to see the world from a bird’s eye view. But then again, not many people can pole vault like Nico Weiler.

The Crimson freshman continued his strong campaign last Friday at the Harvard/Yale-Oxford/Cambridge match in New Haven, Conn., setting a new meet record of 5.20 meters in conditions that were not exactly the most ideal for outdoor pole vaulting.

“I think I did pretty well,” Weiler said. “It was pretty cold, and they considered moving the pole vault indoors. Most people performed a bit below their expectations, so I was pretty fortunate to jump that high that day.”

Fortunate or not, Crimson coach Jason Saretsky was nonetheless extremely pleased with Weiler’s performance.

“Nico’s performance was outstanding,” Saretsky said. “He set a meet record by about a foot. With the work that he has gained in practice, we feel confident that he’s poised to have a great outdoor season.”

Despite Weiler’s solid performance, the Harvard/Yale men finished one point behind their English counterparts, 10-9. For the first time since 1993, Oxford and Cambridge beat the American men.

While Weiler has been jumping fairly consistently his entire freshman season, the young athlete attributed his strong showing at the HYOC competition to a series of great practices the week before.

“I had some really good practice that week, so that’s probably what caused me to jump really well there,” Weiler said.

Like most freshmen and sophomores who participated in their first biennial HYOC match last weekend, Weiler relished the opportunity to take part in a historic match filled with tradition. Because only four competitors are allowed to compete in a given event—two from Harvard/Yale and two from Oxford/Cambridge—this created a unique environment for the athletes.

“The atmosphere surrounding [the event] was really interesting. We even had a banquet afterward where we had to dress up for it,” Weiler said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that before.”

The opportunity to compete at the HYOC meet has been yet another crucial experience to help Weiler transition from high school to the collegiate level.

“Anytime you go from high school to college, there are all sorts of adjustments that need to be made,” Saretsky said. “Nico’s had to work hard to make these transitions, but he’s really rounding into form.”

“Everybody is a lot older, and a lot more experienced,” Weiler said. “They’ve been doing this longer.”

Despite the leg up in experience, it may well be just a matter of time before the Crimson rookie surpasses all of his competitors.

A native of Germany, Weiler began pole vaulting at the age of 11. He brought his athletic talent to California when he decided to study abroad and stay in the US before coming to Harvard. In a matter of two years, Weiler was nearly unstoppable on the track-and-field circuit, amassing just about every accolade possible. Winning the Under-18 World Championships and being named as a USA Today All-American instantly made Weiler a coveted recruit.

“He was highly recruited and very accomplished coming out of high school,” Saretsky said. “He was undefeated his senior year in high school. He showed a ton of potential, and he’s a great competitor.”

But Weiler credits his success to his coaches, not his athletic talent.

“I was very fortunate to have very good coaches,” Weiler said. “Every coach brings a different aspect of coaching. Right now, I feel like that I’m still growing in strength, so the coaches at Harvard have really helped me with that.”

And though Weiler has already dominated Ivy League competition, he will continue to strive for consistency on his jumps throughout his career with the Crimson.

“The more consistent he can be, the more he’s going to improve,” Saretsky said. “He’s already able to compete at a pretty high level. I think everybody involved would agree that a whole new level is waiting for him.”

For now, only time will tell just how far Weiler will go, and how much higher he will vault.