Bo Althoff knows vaulting.
After all, he continues to hold the school pole vault record almost two decades after he graduated from PHS and during his prep heyday was one of the state’s top two in the event.
His expertise and hours spent as a PHS assistant track and field coach has, over the years, helped develop several exceptional young vaulters.
His two projects this year, Bubba Nielsen and Shannon Kohl, proved at the Safford Tri-County Meet on March 27 that they will be forces to reckon with before the season wraps up.
At Safford, the pair both cleared 12 feet, but Nielsen was second and Kohl third on fewer misses.
“Coach Bo always has his kids jumping well,” said PHS head coach Jonathan Ball.
In addition to Nielsen taking second in the pole vault, he ran a personal record 17.07 in the 110 meters to finish third and in the high jump was second clearing six feet.
Jesse Barry PR’d triple jump, leaping 40 feet, 2 inches to take second. Freshman Wyatt Chapman set a personal record in the 200 running a 22.87 to finish second behind a Safford senior. Also in the event, Payson Bobier set a personal standard finishing third in 23.03.
Chapman rounded out his exceptional day by finishing third in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 3 inches.
In the 400 meters, Bobier was clocked in 51.82 and was second.
Although no personal records were set in the 100 meters, PHS sprinters dominated the event sweeping the top three places. Chapman was first (11.54), Bobier second (11.73) and Noel Stuning third (11.78).
Although the Longhorns weren’t dominant in the long distance running, they did earn team points from Michael Anderson, and Gerardo Moceri.
In the 1600 meters that drew a whopping field of 30 runners, Anderson was seventh (5.19:94) and Moceri, a freshman, eighth in (5:21.94).
In the team scoring among the 10 schools participating, Payson was second with 123 points. Host Safford took top honors 17 points in front of the Horns.
Track and field action resumes tomorrow, April 3, with the Chuck Hardt Coed Relays. Action begins at 3 p.m. on PHS track.
From: http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2013/apr/02/coach-molds-vaulters-states-finest/
