The Pioneer Of The Pole Vault

By SALLY B. DONNELLY

At last year's Millrose Games--the oldest and most prestigious track meet in the country--track veterans were stunned when organizers unceremoniously bumped the men's pole vault from its traditional spot in prime time and replaced it with track and field's hottest event: the women's pole vault.

Women do the pole vault? Yes indeed. And an American cowgirl turned vaulter, Stacy Dragila, 30, does it better than anyone ever thought a woman could. The California native has owned the event since it became internationally accepted, including taking the first-ever women's pole vault gold medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney last September and capturing her second World Championship three weeks ago in Edmonton, Canada.

Dragila and her international rivals, such as Russia's Svetlana Feofanova and Australia's Tatiana Grigorieva, have brought unprecedented attention to the competition. The pole vault combines speed, strength and the very real threat of serious injury, and fans have proved eager to see women compete. "The women's pole vault is the one event that has really captured the public's imagination," says Garry Hill, editor of Track & Field News. "It has livened up track and field."

Part of the motivation for Dragila, who has competed in everything from rodeo riding to gymnastics, is the perception that women can't manage such a challenging competition. "People were saying women shouldn't even try this event," says Dragila, who is an assistant track coach at Idaho State University. "These days we're still breaking barriers." Dragila has done her part: this spring she broke her own world record with a vault of 15 ft. 9 1/4 in.

Two years ago, the National Collegiate Athletic Association officially recognized the women's vault, and at last count 38 states sanctioned it at high school championships. The success of Stacy Dragila may have moved her event into prime time for a long time to come.

--By Sally B. Donnelly