| Show r 1 1 r B a D Driving riving l I L. L By By FRANK K BAKER BAKER- Telegram Sports Editor Behind Carl Clarks Clark's record-breaking record performance in inthe inthe inthe the pole vault at the Ute stadium Saturday is a long story of ambition and diligent practice but it really took a photograph photograph photograph pho pho- and a piece of ordinary friction tape to enable the B. B Y U. U star to become the first Rocky mountain athlete to clear 14 feet Although he has been flirting with records records' constantly constantI Clark felt something was cutting down his efficiency Nobody could diagnose his troubles though until a member of f the B. B Y U. U athletic department took some pictures of the Cougar star in action Clark them eagerly He saw he was holding the 1 foot 14 pole steady in his run and that he came up to the take-off take smoothly and steadily as he should He lIe looked at the pictures from all angles lie He could find no fault with the way his leg and shoulder muscles responded or with the way he turned his body and propelled propelled propelled pro pro- it feet first up over the bar For some reason though he didn't feel like he was was getting the right amount of push or leverage in getting over the bar at extreme heights 7 That was a point Leverage He looked at his grip gripon on the vaulting pole and discovered with surprise that his right han hand l was slipping down 9 or 1 10 0 inches during the jump And that's where the friction tape enters the story He wrapped the top of the pole with a strip of it and found its sticky-like sticky surface gave him a much more substantial hand grip Whereupon Thereupon he can hang onto the desired leverage and boosted the Big Seven record to 14 feet 16 1 inch which is 6 63 4 4 3 inches more than he made against the a week weck ago and eight inches above the theold theold old conference m mark rk he set last year c The ease case with which Clark cleared 14 feet Sunday indicated indicated indi indi- that he has scarcely utilized his possibilities After watching the fine rhythm he had on the runway and the easy grace he used in getting up and over the bar I believe he could ultimately go much higher Saturdays Saturday's performance already stamps him as one of the nations nation's foremost vaulters for only a handful of stars have ever gone that high Unfortunately for him this is ms his final year as a collegian and hell he'll probably be out teaching somewhere next year without local opportunity to stay in training Now 22 3 i years of age he is ms barely on the verge of reaching the maturity maturity maturity ma ma- that carried Cornelius to the new world record of 15 feet this spring four years after his collegiate days were over Clark is virtually on a par with at this stage of the game In fact his new Big Seven record is better than the former Fresno State star was able to do in in a mountain ex exhibition exhibition exhibition ex- ex during his collegiate days Unless Clark goes elsewhere or some local club is immediately immediately immediately imme imme- formed to provide post-college post activity to men like him the Cougar star will have to curtail his practice after the forthcoming conference meet and various A. A A. A U. U pro pro- grams has continued his development as a member member member mem mem- ber of the Olympic club of San Francisco As the son of W. W B. B Clark who is caretaker for the Summit county hospital at Coalville Carl got his fundamental fundamental fundamental funda funda- mental foundation for pole vaulting from Silky Knudson the veteran North Summit coach His lIis early inspiration was Verl Wilde the former University of Utah star who was also on hand Saturday t to offer worlds of moral support while his former high school mate was in action Wilde now a teacher at Moroni graduated from high school a couple of years ahead of Clark lark Both were at the B. B Y U. U relays though in 1936 when Bill Sefton and Earl Meadows the U. U S. S C. C pole vaulting twins gave an exhibition exhibition exhibition tion and undoubtedly gleaned much in the way of technique and form that helped them materially Sefton and Meadows cleared 14 feet 1 3 10 inches that day for the only performance ever made in this region above Clarks Clark's mark of last Saturday z Wilde reached 13 feet 3 inches before he finished college and now Clark is going almost a foot higher than the chap who was his idol not so long ago Clark is six feet tall weighs pounds is majoring in in English with a scholastic mark well in excess of B and is re regarded regarded regarded re- re as a diligent trainer He does hand stands to help strengthen his shoulders and carries the vaulting pole in short runs on the cinder track to develop his legs and obtain a smooth running style 1 Youve got to carry the pole smoothly he said If a fellow wobbles and waves the pole back and forth even slightly slight slight- ly on his way up to the standards he loses his vaulting effi eHi- This rhythm and ease of endeavor was evidenced both U by Clark and ClarE Clarence c Gehrke who threw the javelin feet for another record This may seem like condemning Gehrke's performance with fai faint t p praise ise but is not so in in- in in- in tended I woul wouldn't nt be surprised to see him boost his mark even farther in the conference meet because he had been hampered by a lame arm in practice fo for several days prior to last weeks week's meet |
