Pole vaulter Stuczynski to appear

Roberts Wesleyan graduate and 2006 U.S. Outdoor pole vault champion Jen Stuczynski will stage a competition with three other women and four men at the Voller Athletic Center on Friday, December 6 beginning at 8 p.m. The event is free to the public.

Stuczynski is ranked #1 in the United States and #3 in the world in the pole vault and cleared 14' 11.75" in June at the U.S. Nationals.

"It's great for our athletes to be with her and train with her on a day-to-day basis and it's great for the school to have her here," said Raider track and field head coach Adam Steinwachs.

"We have a small field and the women will jump first to allow time for Jen to sign autographs while the men are jumping. She wants to get a head start on the competition since the Russians don't begin to compete until January. She hit 15 feet in only two years of competition while it took the previous world record holder four years to clear that height."

Judges will be on hand so any qualifying jump will count leading up to the Olympic trials for the 2008 Beijing Games starting in the next few months or the NCCAA Indoor Championship in February.

December 3, 2006