Christian Dittman is Vaulting Where no Hawk has Gone Before

Canyon Lake has had some good Pole Vaulters in past seasons and this year

Christian Dittman seems to be ready to raise that bar.

Pole Vaulting is one track event that fans are drawn to since it has so many areas an athlete needs to excel in to realize a good result.

Being coordinated to make your pole stick while running with a good amount of speed and then having that ability to accelerate off the ground to push into the air over 13 feet (in this case) in the air.

Dittman was sailing along in Wimberley on Thursday night in clearing 13’6 by what seemed to be one to two feet. Dittman had also made his lower marks by clearing that same bar with ease.

The event steward then moved the bar to 14′ with just three competitors left on this evening.

That height would be a personal record in a meet for Dittman and you could see his determination as he readied himself for his three tries to conquer another rung on this proverbial ladder.

When asked on how much of vaulting is a mind game, Dittman was quick with his response, “80%.”

“I’m thinking just to get over the bar and Pray,” Dittman said reverently.

The ReSporter thinks that could also work if he Prayed before he started thinking of getting over the bar.

Dittman is a Junior and has been vaulting for several years now, “I have been

vaulting since the seventh grade.”

“Vaulting kept me from running those long distances,” Dittman said as if he was trying to get out of doing not fun events. “My first height that I cleared was 5 feet and once I did, then I knew that I could do this.”

The ReSporter has a fear of participating in any Sport where your head is closer to the ground than the rest of your body.

“No fear,” Dittman said in response. “I have never broken any bones and my pole has never broken either.”

Marcus Bolles and Christian Dittman both reached 13’0 last year and both shared the Canyon Lake record, and now with Bolles off to college it leaves Dittman with enough chances to reach new milestones.

This season Dittman has already had that experience as he has reached 13’6 in his last two meets.

You have to wonder what goes through a pole vaulters head as they run down the track with a long stick in their hands. One would think that, Mom might have said many times to her son, ‘Quit running in this house with those scissors in your hand.’

Dittman upped the ante on that, yes, scissors would still not be smart item to run around with, but long poles has to rank right up there with things a Mom might put on her list of things to tell her children not to do.

“I like the adrenaline and natural factors involved when running down the track,” Dittman said with that special look in his eyes. “I also like to win.”

On what he would like to accomplish this season, “Keep practicing as hard as I can and hoping to reach 15’0 this year.”

Dittman has reached 14’2 in practice and now will be trying to replicate that feat during a Meet.

It can be realized with More Thinking and Praying.

Now The ReSporter is Thinking Dittman might want to change those two areas up with More Praying and maybe try that part before his jump.

Just a thought…..Good Luck!!