I met my wife, Lynn, at ASU in 1985. We married in 1988. Lexi, my first daughter was born in 1990.

Lexi is a 2008 Mountain View H.S. graduate and MVHS Athlete of the Year excelling in volleyball. She recently graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in physical education. She played volleyball for NAU for 5 years and received freshman of the year.

Jade, my second daughter was born in 1993 and has always had a passion for art. She is currently pursuing an AA degree at Mesa Community College and is looking forward to receiving her bachelors in graphic design at ASU.



 

 

Pole Vaulting is an individual event that I truly believe is the the greatest sport in the world. I grew up in Northern California playing every sport imaginable. Sports were a way of life for me from kick ball and red rover to Little League and Pop Warner. I am the youngest of five children so I was constantly trying to better my older brother. He was a great athlete in every sport and I was lucky enough to shadow his every move. We played a lot in the streets, kicking footballs over the electrical wire,skateboarding,kick the can, touch football around the cars. We were never in the house and we came home after dark. Society has changed that innocent way of life. Nintendo, xbox to guitar hero, kids today just aren't getting outside. Not to mention the hot weather of Arizona. When I got to High School I set down my baseball glove and picked up a pole vaulting pole. I actually picked up a swimming pool pole. My brother decided to show me how to pole vault in our back yard. We dug a small hole in the ground to plant the pool pole into. We used two ladders to hold up a hose to vault over. Just 5-6 feet high but my brother taught me well, little did he know that I would later out vault him. In High School we both played football but we never played together. Pole Vaulting (Track and Field) would allow us to compete against each other. He is two years older than me so I was far behind. I went 12' 3" my sophomore year but he went 13 as a junior. I had a rough Junior year and only went 12' as he sailed over 13'9". I thought am I ever going to beat this guy? I came out my senior year with no older brother to battle with and went 14'8". (That's the same height American Record Holder Jeff Hartwig did in High School for you vault junkies) Why? Why did I suddenly improve over 2 feet? First, was for the love of the sport. I began to truly understand how the pole vault works. Running rhythmically down the runway, planting the pole as high as possible, feeling the bend of the pole going upwards, swinging my right knee and tight trail leg better that most, shooting my hips over the top of the pole, it was becoming easy. I placed 4th in the California CIF State Meet in 1981. Secondly was the support of my unselfish coach. A young man named Wendall Beck and his wife Julie. They dragged me around to all the Invitationals we could go to. At the time Coach Beck was just 22 years old. He was still trying to compete himself as a pole vaulter. His wife Julie was pregnant at the time and at some of the Invitationals the other vaulters look at me as if I were the father. Back then Julie and Wendall could just come out on the field with me to coach me and no one cared, so when Wendall was by the pits coaching me Julie was by my poles watching as the other vaulters looked at me in silence. Wow what a great pair of people they were. It is those two unselfish people who remind me of why I am a coach today.