Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-06-08
Pacific Sports
Pole Vaulting.

Pole Vaulting.
There was a time when California
was the main factor in supplying the
country's greatest pole vaulters. To-
day that honor has been transferred
to the Pacific Northwest. and there
are two men there who today are
vaulting higher than the best mark
ever made anywhere in California.
1t was back in 1910 that Leland Stan
ford Scott vaulted II feet 10 7-8
inches for world record mark and he
was the first man to better IL feet
this in 1900 when he was at Stanford.
At the same time Scott was vaulting
there were other men in California
doing 'sky scraper" marks, one of
the best being Sam Bellah who after
wards went to Portland, and even to-
day Sam is able to win points in the
pole vault. Then the worlds echolas-
tic mark was made in April 1913 by
Borgstrom of Los Angeles, but now
the honors have gone to Portland and
the Washington State College.
Elwood Jenne Of Washington State
and Robert Spearrow Of the Multi
nomah club of Portland, today stand
out as two Of the greatest pole vault.
ers in the world, and 1t is almost
foregone conclusion that both will be
members of the American team fol
the Olympic games. Jenne has been
showing phenomenal ability and his
work is also probably more consis.
tent that any vaulter of any time
His best mark was made two weeks
ago, when he got over 10 feet / inch
and in practice he has repeatedly
broken the worlds record, which is
10 feet 8 9-16 inches, by Frank Foss
of Chicago.
There are more classy pole vaulters
in the United States today than ever
before. There are probably half a
dozen men who can scale Is feet or
close to it and there are dozens who
can do around ~ feet inches with
out trouble That these United States
representatives will have hard COM
petition at Antwerp goes without say
ing though this competition will not
be forthcoming in large numbers.
Norway probably has the best vaulter
n Europe in man named Horel-
man whose best mark is IL feet 10
inches, made in 1917. Denmark also
shows a good vaulter in Rasmussen
and his best performance stands at
IL feet 4 inches.
Since the Olympic games have been
held this country has only lost the
pole vault once and that in 1906 when
Gouder of France won with II feet
inches. 1t is we'll within the range
of safe prediction to say that the
United States will win again this year
at Antwerp. Besides JENNIE and
Spearrow there are many other stars
in this country the most notable VINO
have chance for selection on the
team are Foss. Chicago; Sherman
Landers, University Of Pennsylvania;
Myers, Dartmouth; Marc Wright. bos-
ton A. A., former world record holder
Knourech, Illinois A. c.; Percy era
ham, Chicago A. A.; Gardener, yale;
Harwood, Harvard and others. WIN
such men as these it looks as though
this country should take all points
in the pole vaulting event. and Ills
foregone conclusion that the PACING
Northwest will play a brilliant part
in this event with Jenne and spear
row.
Tennis
The fact that there are lot Oh
high class tennis players on the faci-
hc Coast was we'll exemplified last
Sunday when Roland Roberts, OF San
Francisco. seventh ranking player OF
the United States, was defeated oy
Mike" Fottrell in one OF the most
sensational matches ever seen IN Cal
ifornia. Both men we're on the verge
of exhaustion at the finish. The Ma
tional Tennis Association has had 'ts
eve on Roberts for some time as