Parker Clears 17 Feet to Join an Elite Group

If Tom Parker were a man of his word, his season would have ended at the Olympic Trials qualifying track and field meet at Cal State Northridge on Friday.

But the recent graduate of Notre Dame High has no intentions of ending his season, not after clearing a personal best of 17 feet to win the pole vault at Northridge.

“I’d been telling my friends all this week that if I cleared 17 feet, I’d call it a season,” Parker said. “But I can’t stop now. I still feel like I can go higher.”

It’s hard to argue with Parker after watching him clear 16-6 and 17 feet on a borrowed pole, one he had never used before.

“I kept blowing through my pole at the lower heights,” he said. “So I tried one of Bill Thilken’s at 16-6 and it felt great.”

After struggling at 16 feet--it took him three attempts to make it--Parker skied over 16-6 on his initial effort. He cleared 17 feet cleanly on his second attempt.

“It was a crappy jump, technically,” Parker said with a relieved smile. “But it was good enough to get over it. I’m not going to complain about my first 17-footer.”

Parker, 18, took three attempts at 17-6, but none of them were close. He went under the bar on his first and third attempts and clobbered the bar on his second effort.

“I was just too tired,” said Parker, who has cleared 16 feet or better in 12 meets this season. “I didn’t have any energy left.”

Parker’s mark moved him into select company, making him the fourth high school vaulter to clear 17 feet this season. Matt Warwick of Hesperia, Greg Fenza of Ottawa, Ill., and Jayson Lavender of Wichita Falls, Tex., have all cleared 17-0 3/4. Parker’s mark still fell far short of the U.S. Olympic Trials’ qualifying standard of 18-3.

Parker is considered a high school senior for record purposes until college classes begin in the fall. Parker will be attending Tennessee.

Outside of Parker’s performance, however, Friday’s meet produced disappointing results. Poor scheduling was the culprit as another qualifying meet was held at Santa Monica City College later in the evening.

Of those who were at Northridge, Marbella Allen of the Los Angeles track club came the closest to qualifying for the Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, July 15-23. The last day to meet qualifying standards is Monday.

Running alongside Ray Brown because they were the only entries in the 100 meters, Allen timed 11.62, two-hundreths of a second shy of the trials’ qualifying standard of 11.60.

Brown, who entered the meet with a season best of 10.38, clocked 10.48. The men’s qualifying standard is 10.30.

Other leading marks were turned in by Kenny Hayes in the men’s long jump (24-5) and Chris Stumfall in the men’s high jump (7-0 3/4).

Pat Johnson won the women’s long jump at 20-6 1/2.

Two more qualifying meets will be held at Northridge on Sunday and Monday, starting at 1 p.m.

Sunday’s meet is expected to feature more talent and depth than Friday’s as several members of the World Class track club are expected to use the meet as a final tuneup for the trials, which start Friday.

Valerie Brisco and Gail Devers were among the athletes who competed in last Sunday’s CSUN meet.