Central vaulters set high goals

~ Deisher, Woldvedt give the Tigers a strong one-two punch in an event that stresses both athleticism and technique.

Former Southeast Missouri State pole vaulter Collin Sheridan, who won the Ohio Valley Conference outdoor championship in 2000, enjoys a different challenge these days as coach of the Central vaulters.

Among Sheridan's athletes are two of the best local high school vaulters -- sophomore Matt Deisher and junior Ray Woldtvedt.

"It's definitely rewarding whenever you get a good group of kids like we have," Sheridan said. "Our school record here is 15 [feet], 6 [inches] and both of these guys probably have a shot at doing that. They're athletic enough."

Sheridan, who graduated from Southeast in 2005 and teaches at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center, is entering his second year as a Tigers assistant coach.

Central's Ray Woldtvedt (Kit Doyle)

He will try to help both Deisher and Woldtvedt qualify for the state meet after just Deisher qualified last year and ended up finishing 11th in Class 4.

Both Deisher and Woldtvedt, who have been vaulting since junior high school, had personal-best jumps of 13 feet last spring. The two vaulters have the goal of surpassing the school record by the time they graduate. The school mark of 15-6 inches was set by Jim Fox in 1996.

Sheridan thinks Deisher and Woldtvedt have a chance of breaking the record probably not this year, but by the end of their high school careers.

This spring the goal is for both to surpass their own personal records during strong regular seasons and to qualify for the state meet in May.

"Both right now are 13-foot plus vaulters," Jackson coach Bob Sink said about Deisher and Woldtvedt. "I think they are probably the best two boys in the area right now."

Central pole vaulters Ray Woldtvedt, left, and Matt Deisher hope to someday challenge the school record of 15 feet, 6 inches, set by Jim Fox in 1996.

As both Deisher and Woldtvedt make a run at the record books, they enjoy having an experienced coach who competed in Division I track and field.

"He brings a lot of charisma and he knows what he's talking about," Deisher said.

Experienced coach

Sheridan, who grew up in Union, Mo., began pole vaulting when he was in junior high school. His father was a pole vaulter. Sheridan remembers sitting down with his father in front of the TV to watch Olympians compete in the event. His father also would tell him stories about when he was a pole vaulter.

"I just happened to be one of the two or three that was capable at that time [during junior high]," Sheridan said. "And I just stuck with it just like these two athletes [Deisher and Woldtvedt] are doing now. I studied it, went to some camps to learn how to do it and eventually got pretty decent at it and got a scholarship to Southeast."

Central's Ray Woldtvedt clears clears the bar during Wednesday's meet. (Kit Doyle)

Sheridan became an OVC outdoor champion in the pole vault during his freshman year at Southeast. His vault of 15-0 was good enough for the title.

"I did really well my freshman year," Sheridan said. "I probably wouldn't have been -- under normal circumstances -- the champion. But the guys on our team who happened to be better than me had red-shirted that year. So circumstances fell just right where I ended up being the best in the region. I wouldn't have traded Southeast really for anything."

After Sheridan graduated with an industrial technology degree, he remained in the area, working for a company in Advance.

"I knew I wanted to be in teaching and I thought that I'd like to get into coaching," he said. "When the teaching job opened, I didn't know anything about a possible coaching position. It just so happened that they could use somebody at that time, and because I had had that experience, they thought that I would be the best person for it."

Deisher said he and his teammates enjoy hearing about Sheridan's success at Southeast.

ABOVE: Central coach Collin Sheridan, a former OVC champion in the pole vault while at Southeast Missouri State, instructs Ray Woldvedt. LEFT: Woldtvedt clears the bar during Wednesday's meet. A photo gallery can be viewed online at semissourian.com.

"We always ask him stories about his meets or he just tells us about what he did in college and how he did and it's just great," Deisher said.

Two strong vaulters

Sheridan has been a nice fit at Central where Deisher and Woldtvedt are focused on doing well at the event.

Both said they fell in love with the event almost instantly upon trying it.

"They are dedicated to the sport -- plus they are pretty athletic kids to start off with," Sheridan said.

The Tigers' Ray Woldtvedt competes in the pole vault during a meet Wednesday at Central. Woldvedt won the event by clearing 14 feet. (Kit Doyle)

Deisher said the best advice Sheridan has given him is to run tall and relaxed because both play an important part in the vault.

Woldtvedt also said Sheridan has helped him with his running technique to be able to move down the runway quicker.

Both had personal records of 13 feet last year. Deisher vaulted 13 feet at the Class 4 sectional May 17. Woldtvedt vaulted that height in a meet against Jackson on April 22.

Only two other Southeast Missouri high school vaulters -- Poplar Bluff's Matt Chatman (14 feet) and Jackson's Garrett Stone (13 1/2) -- had better personal bests last spring. Both Chatman and Stone have graduated.

Woldtvedt has the goal of vaulting at least 14-6 to 15-0 this year, and he also wants to be all-state.

Deisher's goal is to again qualify for the state meet, but this time around to make the top eight to earn all-state honors. He hopes to be vaulting 14 feet near the end of the spring.

Strong freshman year

In a similar fashion to how Sheridan had a strong freshman year at Southeast back in 2000, Deisher's freshman year at Central last year was an unexpectedly successful one.

"I didn't expect to go to state last year," Deisher said. "When I made it to sectionals, I was just happy and proud."

The top four district meet finishers in each event advance to sectionals, and Deisher placed fourth, one spot ahead of Woldtvedt, who failed to advance.

Deisher and Woldtvedt both vaulted the same height -- 12-6 -- at districts, but Deisher finished one spot higher by scratching one less time than his teammate.

"It was a little slick on the runway because it was raining a little," Deisher said. "We were both scratching almost every height, and then it came up to 12-6 and we both scratched. I think he scratched twice and I scratched once and so we moved on to 13, and we both scratched at that height and I ended up getting it just because of scratches."

Deisher went on to set his personal record in sectionals, which ended up being another meet that came down to the end for Deisher.

"It came down to a jump off," Deisher said about sectionals. "So a tiebreaker between me and one kid. It was tough because it was right at my PR. And so I was happy. I was happy with the way I preformed that day. Just to make it to state was an extra bonus."

No rivalry exists between Deisher and Woldtvedt despite what happened at the district meet or how they likely will be each other's main competition this season.

"We help push each other a lot," Woldtvedt said.

Deisher said that he was upset Woldtvedt didn't qualify for state last year because both are good friends and drive each other as pole vaulters.

"It's more the friendly rivalry thing," Deisher said. "We each drive each other to our best, And if one does better than that means the other one has to catch up."