Los Angeles — Ernie Bullard, a one time USC vaulter who was head coach of the Trojan men’s track and field program for six years in the late 1980s following a long career at San Jose State, died today (Thursday, Aug. 21) in Stockton, Calif., at age 77 from complications following a series of strokes and heart attacks during the past year. Bullard coached at USC from 1985 through 1990, finishing ninth at the NCAA meet in 1986 and 11th in 1989. Among the Trojan athletes he coached were Quincy Watts, who went on to win a pair of gold medals at the 1992 Olympics, and 1989 NCAA 110-meter high hurdles champion Robert Reading. “Ernie was not only a great coach and recruiter who produced world class student-athletes, he was a pioneer and an innovator for the sport of track and field,” said current USC director of track and field Caryl Smith Gilbert. “He also helped create our donor support group, the Trojan Force, which was among the first of its kind in the sport.  Coach Bullard will always remain as one of the greatest Trojans and he will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Bullard family during this time.” Said Watts: “Coach Bullard was a great man and a loving person. I am forever thankful to him for giving me the opportunity to be a part of the Trojan Family. It is a sad day for me. He will truly be missed by me and by so many others.” “Ernie Bullard was a real credit to our profession,” said Ron Allice, who became USC’s head coach 5 years after Bullard left Troy and held that role from 1995 through 2013. “He was an exceptional coach and outstanding competitor, but at the same time he was a truly good guy.  He remained extremely interested in the Trojan track and field program after he left, and he was very supportive of me when I was the USC head coach.” Bullard came to USC after spending 14 seasons (1971-84) as San Jose State’s head coach, where he won nearly 80% of his dual meets (84-22) with 6 of his teams finishing in the Top 10 in the national dual meet rankings and 7 squads winning conference titles.  He coached 4 NCAA individual champions at San Jose State—triple jumper Ron Livers, high hurdler Dedy Cooper, javelin thrower Curt Ransford and pole vaulter Felix Bohni—and 2 world record holders (discus thrower John Powell and pole vaulter Dan Ripley). Prior to that, Bullard was an assistant at San Jose State for 2 years (1969-70), including on the Spartans’ 1969 NCAA championship squad. He also was a successful junior college head coach at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College (1967-68) and Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa,Calif. (1964-66). His 1968 Mesa team won the national JC meet (he was the national JC Coach of the Year) after placing second in 1967. He also coached in the high school ranks in the Phoenix (Ariz.) area in the early 1960s. Bullard was a standout pole vaulter, winning the Arizona state title in 1954 at North Phoenix High and the national JC title in 1956 at Phoenix College before competing in the event for the Trojans, where he received his bachelor’s degree in 1959. Services for Bullard are pending. He is survived by his son, Denton, and daughter, Kari, along with several grandchildren.

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron track and field program will host the Third-Annual Pole Vault Convention at Stile Athletics Field House from January 9-11, 2015. The event is designed to be an all-inclusive pole vault experience for athletes, coaches and parents and will feature classroom sessions, learn-by-doing clinics, and competitions. Instructors will include world-class coaches and vaulters, in addition to top collegiate and club coaches from the region.
The open atmosphere of the convention will allow participants to choose to attend sessions that are most intriguing to their personal interests. The clinicians will offer their specialized perspective about how to get athletes to follow the ideal pole vaulting model in addition to seminars about injury prevention and other ways to take performances to greater heights.
The Pole Vault Convention is the vision of Zips’ head coach Dennis Mitchell, who guided Shawn Barber (indoor) and Annika Roloff (outdoor) to individual NCAA national championshipships in 2014. In all, he has coached 75 All-American honors during his career, including All-Americans in the Pole Vault at the University of Texas, University of North Carolina and University of Akron.
During his 19 years at Akron, Mitchell has won 19 Mid-American Conference Team Championships and been named the MAC Coach of the year 18 times. Furthermore, Coach Mitchell’s athletes have established the MAC All-Time Records in Indoor & Outdoor Men’s & Women’s Pole Vault.

MINNEAPOLIS – Gopher senior pole vaulter Katie Murgic is gearing up for her last season wearing Maroon & Gold, looking to build off momentum from a strong junior season in 2014.

Murgic, a Rosemount, Minn., native already ranks as one of the best pole vaulters in Gopher history. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree climbed to fifth and sixth all-time on the Minnesota indoor and outdoor all-time list during her junior year. Murgic also placed at both the indoor and outdoor Big Ten championships last year, taking fifth place outdoors and sixth indoors.

What is your favorite thing about Gopher track & field?

I have met some of my best friends through this team, and it has been amazing to watch the team grow over the past four years here. Being a part of Gopher track & field has been one of the greatest adventures of my life, and much of what I have taken from the experience goes way beyond the track.

What is your best memory with the team so far?

My sophomore year, the team went to San Diego for spring break, and that has been one of my favorite trips.

What’s your proudest accomplishment in your track & field career so far?

My proudest accomplishment in my track career so far was clearing 13 feet for the first time at the first indoor meet this past season. It was a huge mental barrier to break through, and it opened the door to five more PR’s during the season.

What are your major and career goals?

After completing my child psychology degree at the U, I am going to apply to the radiation therapy program through Fairview. I then hope to work in Radiation Oncology at a children’s hospital.

How did you choose the University of Minnesota?

Former LSU Pole Vaulter is now Miss Louisiana and will be in the Miss America Pageant and needs votes

Despite a relatively successful tenure, Eric Mobley’s time as head coach of Temple University’s track and field teams was not without its controversy. A seven-month investigation by The Temple News, the college’s student newspaper, uncovered extensive allegations of sexual harassment and verbal abuse against Mobley stretching back years. From the time of his hiring in 2008 to his resignation in June, Mobley tolerated intimidation and bullying of athletes to the extent that some considered suicide, according to former members of the team. “I would say the best word to describe my experience on the two years I spent on the Temple track and field team is ‘inappropriate,’ ” Ebony Moore, a former star discus thrower for the Owls, told the newspaper. “It was just completely inappropriate.” In addition to the accusations against Mobley, it appears the university was aware of the problems yet declined to take action. After Moore had her scholarship revoked for complaining to the administration, the News reports, a larger group of athletes met with administrators in 2013, but Mobley continued to coach the team for more than a year.  more

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State Track and Field added two new faces to its staff today in Dason Phelps. The newest member of the Wildcat staff, Phelps joins K-State after spending the past two years as a graduate assistant coach with the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota. He possesses well over a decade of coaching experience, including serving as the pole vault coach at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix from 2005-09, where he coached his squad to the 2007 4A-I the boys pole vault state title.
“Kansas State is one of the premier Track and Field programs in the country. I can’t think of another program I’d rather be coaching for,” Phelps said. “I feel very privileged and honored to become part of the Wildcat family.  I’m appreciative of coach [Cliff] Rovelto’s confidence in me to lead the pole vault group here at K- State.  I have very high standards and expectations, so there’s no question it’s a great fit for what I want to accomplish as a coach.  I’m excited to meet with the athletes, get to know them on many levels, and continue to pursue a level of excellence within the program that will be competitive in the Big 12 Conference.”
Along with experience coaching at the collegiate and high school level, Phelps has also been affiliated with SkyAthletics, a pole vault club in Phoenix, since 1999, as well as the Altius Track Club summer camps run by Olympic gold medalist vaulter Stacy Dragila since 2010. Competitively, Phelps was a two-time National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Champion while attending Paradise Valley Community College. He is the only pole vaulter in junior college history to have ever cleared 18 feet and is the NJCAA outdoor record holder in the event at 5.49m/18-00.00.
Head coach Cliff Rovelto said Phelps’ experience will help in creating more flexibility for the staff in the speed and power events. He added with how scheduling works at the national meets currently, Phelps will help in coaching the field events that overlap.
“Primarily, he’ll have responsibility for working with pole vaulters, but also will help with the other speed and power events,” Rovelto said. “He was an 18-foot pole vaulter when competed and he has significant background in teaching the event, which is important. With the change in the NCAA, particularly outdoors, where you have 48 long jumpers, 48 pole vaulters, you almost need separate people for each event. The way it is set up, inevitably there are two jumping events going on at the same time, two throwing events and it’s very difficult to be present as each of those events run.
“And for us, in particular, but I think just in general as well, it helps to have coaches that are versatile, that can help out in different areas and do different things. It’s just the nature of sport and just the way the schedule is now, you almost have to have that.”  more

Tempe – The Arizona State University track & field program will hold open tryouts for current students on Tuesday, September 16^th.  All students that are interested in participating in the tryout session need to read the following information and complete the needed paperwork.

Tryout – The tryout will take place on one day, Tuesday, September 16^th.  Potential student-athletes are asked to be at Sun Angel Stadium, warmed up and ready to go by no later than 4:00 pm.  It is suggested that students arrive at least 45 minutes early to allow enough time to properly warm-up.  Students are also asked to wear regular workout gear and running shoes (no spikes).  It is also suggested that you bring your own water. On September 16^th, students will be asked to take:  two attempts in the standing long jump; one attempt at a standing 30 meter sprint; one attempt at a flying 30 meter sprint with a 20 meter fly zone; and one attempt at a 45 second run. All students trying out in the throwing events will have a specific throw tryout following the flying 30 meter sprint session.

Tryout Eligibility – Prior to the tryout, each potential student-athlete is required to have all necessary paperwork completed by 2:00 pm, Friday, September 12^th. The paperwork needed consists of:  one purple form produced by the Sun Devil Compliance Office; one copy of completed physical; one copy from Sickle Cell test results.  The purple form can be found posted on the Sun Devil Track & Field Office door.  The Track & Field Office is located on the second floor of the Carson Student-Athlete Center (south end of Sun Devil Stadium). Once a student has obtained the needed signatures on the purple form, that student will need to take the purple form, along with his/her test results, to the Compliance Office, where they will be reviewed and receive the final signature.  The Compliance Office final signing will be performed by Susanna Tamol.  The Compliance Office is also located on the second floor of the Carson Center. Physicals may be completed anywhere.  The most convenient location for current students will be the Student Health Center on campus.  The Sickle Cell test can also be completed at the SHC.  It is advised that candidates have both tests completed early as it may take a couple of days for complete test results.  Students with incomplete physicals or test results will not be permitted to tryout.

Notification of Team Selections – A list of potential student-athletes that will be invited back for an extended tryout will be posted on the Sun Devil Track & Field Office door by no later than Friday, September 19^th.

2014 Season Redshirted the season.

Cuesta CC: Competed in track and field at Cuesta College ;Finished third in the California state finals with a mark of 15’10.

High School: Competed in wrestling, track and football at Crystal Lake Central High School.;Finished 2^nd in the IHSA state finals.

Personal: Son of James and Madeline Becker … has three brothers, Jerome, Julius, and Johann, and two sisters, Jenevil and Justina … has traveled to each of the 50 states in the U.S. … pursuing a major of nutrition and a minor of exercise science

2014 Outdoor: Finished fourth in the pole vault event at the Double Dual with a career best 4.75m.

2014 Indoor: Placed second in the pole vault event at NAU Tune Up with a personal best 4.77m.

High School: A three-year competitor for the Chino Hills High School Huskies. A three-time all-league selection (2011-2013), named All-State in 2013, where he was also the team MVP. Unanimous Sierra League MVP in 2013. Broke the CHHS pole vault record three times, setting the best a 15’10’’.

Personal: Son of Paul Fix and Dana Groener … has a younger sister, Stacey (6) … has been competing in track and field since he was eight years old … pursuing an exploratory major in social and behavioral sciences.

Career Overview: Recieved All-Academic honorable mention in 2014. Placed second in pole vault at the Double Dual in 2014.

2014 Outdoor:Placed second in pole vault at the Double Dual (4.90m). Finished eighth at the Pac-12 Championships in the pole vault event (4.95m).

2014 Indoor: Finished fourth at the Mountain T’s Invitational in pole vault with a career best 4.90m.  Placed third in pole vault at the Lumberjack Challenge (4.75m).

Arizona State (2013): Competed in ten competitions during the spring of 2013, including MPSF Indoor Track and Field Championships and Pac-12 Track & Field Championships. Finished third at the ASU-UA-NAU Tri-Dual pole vault (4.90 m).

2012 Outdoor & Indoor: Redshirted season.

High School: Product from Edison High School in Huntington Beach, Calif., for coach Dave Rynearson.Competed for the club team Ryno Athletics.

Personal: Son of Erik and Cameon Greeley … Has five brothers: Parker, Jacob, Naelin, Jasper, and Levi; and four sisters: Brigete, Brooke, Kailynn, and Mikaela … Uncle Alessio Smith played soccer at Cal State Fullerton, aunt Dolores Smith also played soccer at Cal State Fullerton, grandpa Frank Smith played football for Washington … Majoring in exercise and wellness with an expected graduation date of May 2015. 

Personal Bests • Pole Vault: 4.96m (16-3.25)

Career Overview:Ranks eighth in school history in the pole vault with a 3.73m (12-2.75).Received All-Academic honorable mention in 2014.

2014 Outdoor: Recorded a personal best 3.73m (12-2.75) at the Double Dual, which is good for eighth in school history.

2014 Indoor: Finished seventh in the pole vault at the Lumberjack Challenge (3.52m; 11-6.50).

2013 Outdoor: Finished Fourth in the pole vault at the ASU-UA-NAU Tri-Dual with a mark of 3.56m (11-08). Recorded a personal best mark of 3.67m (12-00.5) twice in the pole vault (2013 Mesa Classic and 2013 Baldy Castillo Invitational).Recorded her highest finish of the year in the Pole Vault at the 2013 Baldy Castillo Invitational.

Personal: Daughter of Steve and Susana Kemmerrer …. has a brother, Kevin, who is in college at UC Davis … majoring in mechanical engineering.

Personal Best • Pole Vault: 3.73m (12-2.75)

Career Overview: Recorded a personal best 3.71m (12-2.00) in the indoor pole vault, which ranks ninth in school history (2014).  Named to the 2014 Pac-12 All-Academic first team and owns a 3.91. Competed in the Pole Vault at the 2013 Pac-12 Track & Field Championships.

2014 Outdoor: Finished second in the pole vault at the Baldy Castillo Invitational with a 3.70m (12-1.50).

2014 Indoor: Recorded a personal best 3.71m (12-2.00) in the pole vault at the Don Kirby Invitational, which ranks ninth in school history.

2013 Outdoor:  Competed in the Pole Vault at the Pac-12 Track & Field Championships. Finished fourth in the Pole Vault at the ASU-UA-NAU Tri-Dual with a mark of 3.56m (11-08). Finished fourth at the 2013 Mesa Classic in the Pole Vault with a mark of 3.67m (12-00.5).Recorded a Personal Best mark of 3.85m (12-07-.5) in the Pole Vault which is the Seventh best mark in school history at the PVCC Outdoor. Finished second in the Pole Vault at the 2013 ASU Invitational with a mark of 3.67m (12-00.5).

2013 Indoor: Finished eleventh at the 2013 NAU Tune Up with a mark of 3.60m (11-09.75) in the Pole Vault. Finished seventh in the Pole Vault at the 2013 Mountain T’s Open and Invite with a mark of 3.70m (12-01.5).

Personal: Daughter of Jeff and Sandi Pasternak … has one brother, Shane, and a sister, Kristi … enjoys long walks with her dog, Summer … double majoring in criminal justice and psychology.

Personal Best • Pole Vault: 3.85m (12-7.50)

Already flooded with litigation, the NCAA faces another antitrust lawsuit that in part tries to use the Ed O’Bannon ruling to challenge the number and duration of scholarships for Division I football players.

Former Colorado State kicker Durrell Chamorro filed a class-action suit last week in Indianapolis federal court seeking damages for Division I football players who were impacted by the since-abandoned rule banning multiyear scholarships. In 2012, the NCAA passed a rule allowing schools to offer multiyear scholarships to all athletes for the first time since 1973. Some schools are taking advantage of the option.

Also, the lawsuit challenges the yearly cap on football scholarships by school. The NCAA permits Football Bowl Subdivision schools to offer 85 football scholarships and Football Championship Subdivision schools to provide 63  more

The memorial service for former USC Track & Field head coach and athlete Ernie Bullard will be held on campus at the Town and Gown on Saturday, Sept. 13 at noon.Bullard, a one-time USC pole vaulter who was the head coach of the Trojan men’s track and field program for six years in the late 1980s, died on Aug. 21 at the age of 77 from complications following a series of strokes and heart attacks during the past year.Bullard coached at USC from 1985 through 1990, finishing ninth at the NCAA meet in 1986 and 11th in 1989. Among the Trojan athletes he coached were Quincy Watts, who went on to win a pair of gold medals at the 1992 Olympics, and 1989 NCAA 110-meter high hurdles champion Robert Reading.Bullard came to USC after spending 14 seasons (1971-84) as San Jose State’s head coach, where he won nearly 80% of his dual meets (84-22), with 6 of his teams finishing in the Top 10 in the national dual meet rankings and 7 squads winning conference titles. He coached 4 NCAA individual champions at San Jose State–triple jumper Ron Livers, high hurdler Dedy Cooper, javelin thrower Curt Ransford and pole vaulter Felix Bohni–and 2 world record holders (discus thrower John Powell and pole vaulter Dan Ripley).Among the speakers scheduled at the memorial are his four grandchildren, former USC head coach Ron Allice and former USC assistant track and field coach Larry Knuth

What is it that happens to college athletes that diminishes an athlete’s chances of succeeding?  Every athlete comes out of high school with big dreams, but where is it that those dreams become unrealistic?

1. Too Much Partying
2. Thinking and Acting like a Normal Student
3. Eating like a Normal Student
4. Chasing Sex
5. Doing Nothing Right & Complaining About the Results
6. Living in High School
7. Have a Hard Time Accepting New Things
8. No More Spoon Feeding

more details

Most collegiate track and field programs would be happy with one Olympic athlete on their coaching staffs. But with UK head coach Edrick Floreal’s two most recent coaching hires, the Cats’ total has increased to three. Floreal, a former Olympian himself, hired Olympic silver medalist Toby Stevenson and Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson in the offseason to push the program to the level of success he has envisioned. Stevenson was hired as the coach of vertical jumpers and multi-event competitors (Tim Duckworth is a frosh there). Before he won a silver medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics, Stevenson helped Stanford win the 2000 NCAA title as a pole vaulter, the university’s first outdoor track and field title in 66 years. After retiring from professional competition in 2009, Stevenson worked under Floreal at Stanford, coaching an NCAA champion in the process. While Stevenson’s Olympic pedigree and success is impressive, Floreal said it was his coaching ability that he desired the most. “We look for what a person’s understanding of high level performance is when looking for coaches,” Floreal said. “Someone may have a lot of success at the Olympic level, but it could mean nothing if they can’t convey that level of work to our athletes of today. Coach Stevenson has proven that he has that ability when he worked with me at Stanford, and that’s why I wanted to bring him here.” Stevenson said when Floreal approached him to coach at UK, he jumped at the opportunity because of the potential he saw in the program. “We have the opportunity to compete in the best conference in the nation in the Southeastern Conference, and be on top of it,” Stevenson said. “That’s the goal we have now, and this program presents us with every opportunity to do so.” To pass on his Olympic success and knowledge to the athletes and keep up with the expectations of the program, Stevenson said he has one message for this year’s Cats. “We need the utmost focus out of every one of our athletes to succeed to our fullest potential,” Stevenson said. “How much they’re willing to sacrifice in their life outside of track will determine how successful they’ll be. That’s how we’ll set up our work at UK.” more

The controversial highway billboards featuring the Husky mascot next to a Coors beer bottle caused a stir in Connecticut this past week, but they also placed UConn among a number of schools across the country that have associated with beer companies to boost their sports budgets.

Schools capitalizing on alcohol as a part of the college fans’ game-day experience has become an increasing trend in NCAA athletics. Whether in the form of associations to company logos, radio and television advertisements, or sales at stadiums, flowing beer can translate into a flow of cash for college sports programs trying to compete in a multibillion-dollar industry.

“What we’ve seen happen is an increase in the involvement of alcohol companies in college sports marketing over the last three to four years,” said Scott Bussen, a spokesman for MillerCoors. “Colleges and athletic departments have started looking for additional ways to create revenue.”

But that can present a challenge for institutions as they try to balance athletic department efforts to compete in the increasingly high-stakes arena of collegiate sports against on-campus efforts to combat binge drinking and the problems that often follow excessive alcohol use.  more

Ole Miss pole vaulter Sam Kendricks has elected to forego any remaining NCAA eligibility to pursue a professional career in track and field. Kendricks was the 2014 U.S. national champion after clearing a season-best height of 18-10.25 at the USA Championships in Sacramento, California.

“This is a hard decision and the timing of it has been difficult for me,” Kendricks said in a university press release. “I believe this is the best decision for my family, and I’ve gotten their full support in many ways. I love being an Ole Miss Rebel.”

Kendrick will continue to study at Ole Miss and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in May. In addition to being a Division-I athlete, the Oxford-native is also a member of the university’s Army ROTC program. He is on pace to be comissioned as a liuetenant in the U.S. Army.

In the last three years, Kendricks won gold at the 2013 World University Games, a U.S. Championship, two NCAA titles, two SEC Athlete of the Year Awards and set school records.

Cincinnati, Ohio –Eric Bryant appears in the recently released 2014 edition of “Man of the World” magazine as a featured male model. The 2012 Loveland High School graduate performed with the Loveland High School show choir in the World Choir Games that summer in Cincinnati. He was on his way to his freshman season as a pole vaulter with the University of Cincinnati track and field team. Becoming an international male model was not on his mind. “I never thought of it, not once ever,” Bryant said. “In high school, I was in show choir. Parents from other show choirs would always come up to me and ask ‘Hey, are you a model?’ I just thought mom’s thought I was cute. It was kind of weird. I never thought too much of it.” Bryant began his freshman year as a member of the U.C. track team with an All-American pole vaulter ahead of him. That meant Bryant would not be traveling or competing. He wasn’t where he wanted to be and decided to take second semester off from track. Suddenly, Bryant found himself with no money and 20 hours of free time. “I thought maybe I’ll give this modeling thing a shot to see if I could make a couple bucks here and there,” Bryant said. He went to his good friend Ben Hoffman, a fellow Loveland High School graduate and actor. Hoffman told Bryant to check into Wings Model Management in Cincinnati. He and his mother met with Jake, the same Wings agent who represents Ben. He immediately told Eric he should be working in New York or Europe. Bryant and his mom, Sylvia Hoffmann, were skeptical, thinking the agent probably says that to everybody. more