Valley Vista’s Riddle breaks Arizona pole vault record, readies for state
By Richard Smith
Posted 5/1/17
Richard Smith
West Valley Preps
When Cole Riddle talked about trying to set a new state pole vault record despite entering the season with a personal best of 16 feet 6 inches, it was easy to …
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Valley Vista’s Riddle breaks Arizona pole vault record, readies for state
Posted
By Richard Smith
Richard Smith West Valley Preps
When Cole Riddle talked about trying to set a new state pole vault record despite entering the season with a personal best of 16 feet 6 inches, it was easy to praise him for shooting for the moon while deriding his chances.
Turns out, the Valley Vista senior was on to something. He entered the April 26 Desert Vista Last Chance Meet in Phoenix with a personal best of 16 feet 8 inches.
Valley Vista senior Cole Riddle runs up for a vault during the early season meet. Riddle recently won the Chandler Rotary Invitational and his clearance at 16-7 is the best in the state this year. (Elliott Glick/Special for West Valley Preps)
He left with the new Arizona record of 17 feet 5 inches, surpassing his mentor, Tolleson High School alum and 2000 Olympic gold medalist Nick Hysong. Hysong set the state record 17 feet 5 3/4 inches in 1990.
"Yes, we had talked about it… he knew he would break the record — he kept saying that he needed a bigger pole and after he got it he was a man on a mission; not necessarily to break the record but to go higher —he just took off," Valley Vista track coach Willie Walker said.
Riddle will start his quest for the one thing that has eluded him, a first place finish in the state, when the Division I pole vault starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 6 at Mesa Community College, 1833 W. Southern Ave.
"It’s a very big deal to Cole, he’s worked very hard to get where he is today. He has vaulted well at Arcadia, Chandler Relays and at the state track meets too," Coach Walker said. "He’s happy to have made his mark in the Arizona Track Record book, it means a lot to Valley Vista, our track program and the young kids who are coming up through the ranks following in Cole's footsteps."
Riddle leads a strong crop of Northwest Valley pole vaulters. Centennial junior Alex Escobar and Deer Valley senior Alyson Schwartz are the favorites in in Division II. Both of those events will start at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Here is a list of the other top track athletes in the area:
Kellis junior hurdler Brandon McGuire Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at the Glendale school. McGuire won the Division II 110- and 300-meter hurdles titles last year and is the favorite in both events again. (Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps)
Valley Vista senior Cole Riddle runs up for a vault during the early season meet. Riddle recently won the Chandler Rotary Invitational and his clearance at 16-7 is the best in the state this year. (Elliott Glick/Special for West Valley Preps)
Kellis junior hurdler Brandon McGuire Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at the Glendale school. McGuire won the Division II 110- and 300-meter hurdles titles last year and is the favorite in both events again. (Jacob Stanek/West Valley Preps)
