Bob Banhagel continues pole vaulting with son, grandson

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Ionia native continues pole vaulting with son, grandson

By Andrew Roberts
sports@sentinel-standard.com
Posted Aug 03, 2011 @ 12:52 AM


IONIA, Mich. —
Bob Banhagel set the mark in pole vaulting during his days at Ionia High School back in the 1960s, as well as in many other sports.

He set the school record in the event, becoming one of the first vaulters in the state to clear 13 feet.
At that time, he had no idea how the sport would become a legacy in his family, and that he would still be competing at age 65 and training along with his 42-year-old son, Rob Banhagel.

“(After high school) I did a little pole vaulting in the Army, but that was it,” Bob Banhagel said. “I got back into at age 60 and found out I still could do it.

“Not every family does this. It’s an expensive sport and you need to be somewhat of a daredevil to do it.”
After moving to Ohio, Banhagel’s grandson, Jacob Blankenship, was playing around with a friend around his garage when they found some old pole vaulting equipment. After showing them how it worked, he got the urge to get back into the sport.

“Back when my grandson (Jake Blankenship) was about 9 or 10 years old, he was playing with some friends around my garage,” Bob said. “They saw an old pole and crossbar and asked me what those were for. So I dug a hole, had the boys stand on a couple of chairs and hold the bar then vaulted it.

“They thought it was pretty cool and I got the bug back.”

With Bob now in his 60s and Rob in his 40s, most might think that their glory days are behind them. However, the two still compete in vaults around the country.

This past weekend, Bob finished third in the 65-69 division at the USA Masters Track and Field Championships in Berea, Ohio. Last year, he took first at the indoor national championships.
Rob, and his sister Becky (Lottridge), have also etched their names into the history of Ionia track and field. Rob reset the record with a vault of 14’ 10” in the 1980s, while Becky set school records in the long jump and the 100 dash during her high school career.

The father and son also are volunteer coaches at Gahanna Lincoln High School, just outside of Columbus, Ohio. There they instruct the vaulters on the track and field team, including Blankenship, who became the Division I state champion in the pole vault in June.

Blankenship said he played in the pole vault pit at his grandfather’s house when he was little, but he really didn’t want to pick the sport up heading into his freshman year of high school.

“My mom kind of pushed me to do it,” she said. “She told me if I did she would get me this snowboard that I loved.”
The decision has paid off for the Gahanna Lincoln senior. Along with winning a state title, he did it with a vault of 17’. The mark reset the state record, and was the highest vault ever inside Ohio State University’s Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Also this summer, Blankenship took first in the New Balance Outdoor Championships and finished with the bronze in the IAAF World Youth Games, where he garnered praise from the broadcasters during the live telecast on a European sports station.

“They said he was a vaulter to look out for,” Lottridge said.

Butterfly effect

After graduating high school, Rob went on to Western Michigan University, where he vaulted for the Broncos for two seasons. After his short time there, he and a college teammate of his decided to move to California. There they lived with and trained under 1972 Olympic bronze medalist Jan Johnson.

“A teammate of mine and I (at WMU) went to workout in the field house on a dreary winter day and decided to move to California,” he said. “We sold everything we had and lived with Jan and trained with him.

“He didn’t make us pay rent, just do yard work. He also made us ride our bikes everywhere we went to keep in shape.”
Rob finished his collegiate career at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Calif. He also competed in the World Games in 1988.

Following college, he stopped pole vaulting until this year at age 42.

Although he said he sometimes looks back and thinks about what he might have been able to do if he would have continued to work on his craft, he believes that things happened for a reason.

“I think it’s like the butterfly effect,” he said. “If I had gone pro, I would probably still be in California, and not here coaching Jake in track.

“There was a purpose for me to take the path I have so I could be here right now.”

What’s next?

Bob will be joining his former high school rival and friend, John Large, at the Moon Vault this weekend in Vermontville. Large finished first in the 60-65 division at the USA Masters Track and Field Championships this weekend. Rob will be there, but he will be unable to compete due to an injury. He will continue to vault after he heals.

Jake will be entering his senior year this fall, and training for his final high school season. His goal is to break 18 feet and possibly break the national record. He will also make a decision on what college to go to. So far, he has garnered interest from the University of Tennessee, the University of Kansas, Rice University, the University of Washington and the University of Minnesota.