The Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-06-10, Page 30•
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Page A30 - Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Durst finishes seventh in Ontario high school pole vault
Berard Creces
signal -star staff
It wasn't his personal best, but
Grade 10 student, Tyler Durst
said it was "close enough."
Durst was the sole representa-
tive of Goderich District Colle-
giate Institute to advance to the
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Ontario Federation of Secondary
School Associations (OFSAA)
finals in Toronto this pat week-
end.
Clearing 3.3 metres in the pole
vault, Durst placed seventh in the
province out of a pool of 22 ju-
nior athletes.
"I'm sort of happy about it,"
he said. "I was hoping to get 3.45
(metres) and I got 3.30."
However, it has been a season
of steady improvement for the
second -year vaulter.
At Huron -Perth, held at St.
Anne's May 12-13, Durst cleared
the bar at three metres to vault
into. first place and what would
soon become an outdated per-
sonal best.
"That the first time I got three
metres," he said.
At the Western Ontario Sec-
ondary School Atheltic Associa-
tion (WOSSAA) qualifier at TD
Waterhouse Stadium in London
last month, Durst obtained a new
personal best along with a gold
medal, clearing 3.35 metres.
The next week, he was . in
Kitchener -Waterloo for the
WOSSAA Re-
gional, taking
Tyler Durst
third place in what he called an
"off -day".
"There was a huge head wind
throwing everyone off," he said.
"With a tail wind, you rtin faster
with more power for take off.
With a head wind, you have less
power going into it."
Still, his 3.2m vault was
enough to send Durst to OFSAA
and Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
Last year, Durst placed fifth in
pole vault at OFSAA - a monu-
mental feat considering it was his
first year tryirg the sport. He said
he tried out after his woodwork-
ing teacher, track coach Greg
Judge, made a comment in class
that any student who want to try
out was welcome to.
While a broken leg kept him
from practicing over last sum-
mer, Durst said he is hoping to
keep at vaulting throughout the
summer break to fine-tune his
vaults - particularly the twist and
kick to clear the bar.
"I've got the whole first half
down," he said. "The second half
is not that great."
Meanwhile, the GDCI stu-
dent said he will be once again
playing soccer for the South Hu-
ron Premier team, travelling to
Guelph, London, St. Thomas and
elsewhere during the season.
He said the difference between
soccer and track is on an off -day,
you have a team to back you up
on the pitch: At the track, it is a
different story.
"In.. track you are with your-
self," he said. "You want to break
your personal best"
With two years of steady im-
provement under his belt, Durst
has nowhere to go but up (and
over) next season.
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Photo by Gerard Creces
Fun run
St. Mary's student Jacqueline Bedard uses a Spongebob blanket like a drag -
racer's parachute to slow down after a post -track-and-field fun -run June 4. The
Huron -Perth Catholic schools' regional meet was held June 9 at St. Anne's in
Clinton. Results were unavailable as of press time.