Jenn Suhr – 2013 - Best Year Ever with many 1st!

Jenn has been very fortunate and blessed with being ranked #1 in the World 2 years in a row (2011, 2012).  2013, has been even more successful both statistically and from a coach’s view.  Throughout the season, I have watched Jenn tackle many 1^st.

Being a Stat Guy I will keep it simple and give you “The Quick Stats”:

-          Recorded the 3 highest jumps in the World

-          Highest jump in the World indoors

-          A perfect undefeated Indoor Season

-          Broke Yelena Isinbayeva’s World Indoor Record by jumping 5.02 (16’5 ½)

-          Won World Championship Silver Medal

-          Highest jump in the World outdoors

In 2013, just 6 months after winning the Olympic Gold for Team USA, Jenn broke the World Record Indoors becoming the highest indoor vaulter the world has ever seen.  It was also 20cm higher than anyone else had jumped in the World for the indoor season.  I knew there was a possibility of a post Olympic letdown but she delivered with impact.  So in a years’ time, she won the Olympics, took Silver in Worlds and broke the World Record (which is the rarest and most coveted prize in all of pole vault).  Jenn started her season in January and finished at the end of August.  In that time frame, it was the first time she jumped over 4.90m (16’1) 3 times, set a World Record Indoors and won a World Silver Medal.  She was voted Track and Field News World athlete of the year this indoor season giving Jenn her best year long pedigree ever.  What a year for her, but more importantly, what a year for American pole vaulting!

But in the end, nothing really matters in pole vault except how high you jump.  It is the only thing that the pole vaulter can completely control.  In conclusion, we have been fortunate to lead the World 4 years in a row with the highest Outdoor jump. 

2013 was a great year!

                                                       2013 World’s Highest Vaults

1.	5.02i WR, WL	Jenn Suhr
2.	4.91 WL (outdoor)	Jenn Suhr
3.	4.90i Area Record	Jenn Suhr
4.	4.90	Yarisley Silva
5.	4.89	Yelena Isinbayeva

Missing the fun of high school vaulting

As Jenn and I traveled to watch two local high school meets this weekend, I forget how fun it was to coach at that level.  Kids were very excited and fired up to meet Jenn, which is really awesome.  But I forget how fun jumping at the high school level was.  Kids are very resilient from losses and always improve quickly at that age.  They have a certain level of excitement and anticipation to learn.  I still enjoyed coaching at that level more than any level even though I have not done it since 2006. 
It's a great world at the high school level, almost always improving, no promoters, no media, no Internet bashing, no fighting over money, and most of all, hardly any airplanes.  The pro level is a different world, everybody wants something, everybody owes somebody something, and if that isn't enough...then the Internet and national media will provide you all the criticism you will need. 

I still feel high school sports is one of the biggest determining factors in shaping a young athlete's personality and character.  Some day I will return to this level of coaching because of it's excitement and freshness.  As Jenn signed autographs of some 200 kids,  so many of them said, "I want to be just like you".   But as I watched a young high school vaulter jump a p.r. of 11' I said to myself, "I want to be as happy as that kid" as he ran around the pad celebrating.   

Rick Suhr