Saturday, February 7th, 2015, we will be doing just that! Come join us for the first ever Jacksonville Mall Vault at the Avenues Mall!
I will be live casting it here:
http://runflix.com/jaatclmava.html
Great news, JAC Street Vault announcer, Dave Milner will be back for the Mall Vault!In addition to what is put in our meet information (on parking, pole drop offs, etc) please take note of the following items that will help to make this event run smoothly and not make things so hectic: – Only bring your poles into the mall when it is your group’s turn to compete. We will not have enough room in the mall to store all of the poles for all 90 vaulters at once. If you are a guy who jumps in group 4 and you want to watch some of the other competitions, feel free to do so, but leave your poles on your car. Our announcer will be notifying everyone when they can bring their poles in (one group at a time), so don’t stress about it. Tentatively, group 1 should bring in their poles at 8:30am, group 2 around 11:30am, group 3 around 2:30pm and group 4 around 5:30pm. This is a general guide, and again, listen to the announcements and you will be fine! – Once your group is done competing, you must leave the competition area, take your poles with you, and then you are more than welcome to watch from any other area. The biggest thing that will slow down the meet is people hanging out in the competition area (it will be roped off to identify it) when they shouldn’t be there.
– The stage will be utilized by meet management, the film crew, and the announcer and DJ. Please do not go on the stage unless you are escorted up there by meet management.
– There will be a small area for coaches to watch, but again, only for those coaches who have athletes in the group that is currently going on. This not only eliminates too many people in a small space, but it also eliminates coaches trying to coach kids that aren’t their athletes (it’s becoming an epidemic…..)
– To sum things up…… If you are competing in a certain group, the competition area is strictly for you. Once your group is done, take your poles back to your car, and then come back and be a fan. And shop.
Meet Information
The Jacksonville Athletic Club is proud and excited to host the 2015 Avenues Mall Vault. This is the first of its kind in Florida, and only the 2nd EVER mall vault competition in the United States. This event is to serve as not only a great way to promote the sport of pole vault, but also provide the vaulters with a great opportunity to vault high. As it is a very unique event, conducted in the middle of a busy shopping mall, please see below for specific logistical information that will help the vaulter, coach, and spectator alike. None of you have every pole vaulted in a mall, so this should be a great, fun experience for you. Take lots of pictures and enjoy it! This event is for you!
Directions
The competition will be held inside of the beautiful Avenues Mall (10300 Southside Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32256…..Not to be confused with the Avenues Mall Kuwait) on the first floor, in the middle of the mall. See attached map (pg. 5) for competition location (center of mall) as well as parking location and entrance location. The mall is conveniently located right of off I-95.
Parking
We would ask that all athletes park in the parking lot located next to Dillard’s and J.C. Penny. This will be the closest area to park for the event. The only entry point for the athletes is at the entrance located between Visonworks and Gymboree. If you park in right between J.C. Penny and Dillard’s it is the entrance point in the middle. (See pg. 4 for pictures and pg. 5 for map)
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Competition Groups
The first group (Girls / Women) will start at 10am. The mall opens at 10am, but we have received permission to let the first group warm up at 8:30am. Enter through the proper entrance (see parking section) and check in when you arrive. A final schedule (with all competition groups) will be posted on www.jaxtrack.com the week of the event.
Poles
All poles must be taken in, and taken out through the doors between Visionworks and Gymboree. We will have people in place to help direct you to the area. All poles must be taken through this entrance!
Warm Up Area
Remember, we will be pole vaulting inside of a busy mall. Warm ups should take place (safely) in the parking lot, or on the sidewalk outside of the mall. There is a small indoor track inside of the Footlocker, but I would assume they would frown upon warming up on that track.
Coaches
Coaches (one per athlete or team) will be allowed to access the coaches’ area. Remember, we will are vaulting in a tight space. To make the best of it, only coaches are allowed in the coaches’ area. This area will be “policed” to ensure the best coaching viewpoint for the coaches.
Spike Usage
Do not wear your spikes outside of the roped in pole vault area. The pole vault area is equipped with rubber flooring, so we don’t damage the floor of the mall. If we want this to be an annual event (we do!) we need to make sure to respect the floors, and not wear spikes ANYWHERE outside of the roped in pole vault area. If you need to use the bathroom, talk to someone outside of the area, or go get a Cinnabon (they are delicious, we know) put on your flats first.
Elimination from Competition
In the unfortunate event that you are eliminated from the competition, you are welcome to stay in the pole vault area, but ONLY in the back, as to keep the runway / competition area as clear as possible. If you wish to watch from another viewpoint, simply exit the pole vault area (sans spikes of course) and watch from there.
Pole Storage
During warm ups and competition, you can keep your poles in the designated “pole area” (look for signs). Once your event is over, please take your poles back to your car / truck/ suv / hybrid, as this will give us space for the next group and their poles.
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Mall Vault Specifics
The runway will be 140’ long, and is fast and springy. There is an area in the approach (from around 55’-80’ out from the box) where there is a lower ceiling point (13’6). This might affect some people’s pole carry, and might not others. Err on the side of a being prepared to have a modified pole carriage if you are used to carrying the pole perpendicular to the runway. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to compete in the only mall vault in the United State in 2015…………
Photo / Video / Audio
We will have this event professionally videoed, as well as have the event live streaming. There will also be photographers there from the newspaper. These are both to serve you as a way of preserving the event, as well as a great way to promote the pole vault. We will also have a DJ to play music to enhance the experience. If you have any songs that you want played when you are vaulting, simply email them to me (track@jaxtrack.com) and I can make it happen. Finally, use the hashtag #Duvault to make song suggestions or to talk about the event on Twitter. Or on Myspace……
2015 Avenues Mall Vault Schedule (Tentative!)
*Times and opening heights will only be made final after all entries have been received*
10am Girls / Women (Girls w/ PR’s between 9’-13’+) (7’6” opening height)
1pm Beginners / Masters / Decathletes (Mixed competition w/ PR’s between 5’-12’+) (4’ opening height)
4pm Boys / Men (Guys w/ PR’s between 12’-16’+) (10’ opening height)
7pm Elite / Invite (tba)
